Rocco and Jennalee
by emodinosaurX3
Summary: When two polar opposite students are forced to work together, things go a tad haywire within their cliques. Will a secret chemistry spark, even if one is half-vampire and the other is fully human?
1. Apply Yourself

**O1. **_Apply Yourself  
_

* * *

The blackboard was a jumble of foreign symbols to Rocco as he stared clueless at it, his brain giving up on trying to make sense of what it all meant. Math had never been his strong subject, nor had science or English or history. He was good at sports, and physical education was really the only good mark he had.

He sighed and placed his jaw in his palm, his fingers grazing the tip of it. He was bored. He didn't understand the lesson and was craving some blood. He longed to get out of the painfully dull room and run around in the grass field next to the gym, kick a ball around, feel the breeze through his shaggy, untamable black hair. Instead, he was being forced to study some form of equations with letters instead of numbers. If one plus one equaled two, did that mean A plus A equaled B? He didn't get it at all.

He glanced at the clock, which was ticking by ever so slowly, taunting him as it slowed. Soon, to him, the second hand seemed to stop. His thick eyebrows rose, his eyes widening in fear.

He tore his eyes from the clock. Watching it wouldn't make the class go by any faster. Instead, he looked around. Everyone else was jotting down the notes on the board, completing the sample equations that were written for practice. He felt lost and alone. Everybody else obviously understood what the lesson was, so why couldn't he? Rocco turned to his right and noticed Tripp, one of his best friends, with his head ducked, furiously scribbling down the answers to the problems on the board. His earphones were plugged into his ears, blasting his techno punk music, but with his advanced hearing, he could still tune in to what Mrs. Petrov was explaining. Tripp was smart, so it didn't surprise Rocco that he understood the lesson. His thin frame was compressed into a pair of black slacks, his stick-thin waist wrapped with numerous studded belts, and a white button-down shirt, a black tie with a spider-webbed pattern wrapped tightly around his neck. His thick-rimmed rectangular glasses were perched on the edge of his nose as wispy blonde hair hugged the nape of his neck and framed his face, turning out near his ears.

Rocco turned to his left and noticed Kat, another one of his best friends, also scribbling away, cracking her gum and blowing bubbles with it as she did her work. Kat was the sole female in Rocco's clique of four, and she was the feistiest. She was petite with a ballerina figure, but those who knew her knew not to be deceived by her appearance. Her usual deadpan expression gave this away to people, silently telling them to not cross her path. Her curvy figure was pressed into a corset dress with a tutu skirt, her legs encased in fishnet leggings. She sported a vinyl black jacket and a pair of chunky combat boots to complete her look, along with a string of black beads, a leather choker, and her trademark headband with little black devil horns that poked out of her jaw-length brunette hair, stripes of black streaking it. Rocco knew Kat was also smart, so it was also no surprise to him that she was doing the problems with ease as well.

In fact, Rocco felt like the least smart one of their little clique, as Claude Sterling was pretty smart too. At least he understood calculus. Rocco looked over to Kat's other side and noticed Claude with his jaw resting on his fist, his pencil gliding over the paper. He absentmindedly ran his ringed fingers through his shaggy locks of dyed blonde, the black roots of his natural hair color apparent and streaking the strands, as Claude pressed his lips together, his silver lip ring hugging his bottom lip. Claude's slim athletic figure was donned in a metal band t-shirt, the neck hazardously torn, underneath his favorite motorcycle jacket with the spikes on the shoulders, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows to display the flame tattoos that circled both of his wrists and traveled up his forearms. His legs were encased in a pair of torn black skinny jeans stuffed in combat boots, his waist adorned in chains, studded and missile belts. Claude was the most popular one out of their clique, but that was because he was known for being so rich, however nobody other than Rocco, Kat, and Tripp knew why he was really so rich. His family were the royal vampires, the Sterlings, but if anyone knew they were vampires, well, things wouldn't be the way they are.

He began to doodle in the margins of his notebook until the period was over, which took such a painfully long time. He slumped in his chair and wondered how come _he_ wasn't so smart. He was a vampire too, at least half of one, like his friends. It was also the reason why he was rejected so greatly by his parents. They couldn't understand how Rocco had become a half-vampire when they themselves were full-blooded vampires. Rocco was a disappointment to his parents, and if hadn't been for being so well in sports, he figured they'd probably disown him. He wasn't worth keeping if he couldn't do anything. It was actually the reason why he stayed in school. He would drop out in a heartbeat if he didn't have to prove to his parents that he was not a disappointment.

He began to think about how much his friends meant to him. They were always there for him and supported him. They also knew exactly how he felt, as they were half-vampires too and were rejected in their own ways.

Rocco was thrilled to hear the obnoxious shrill of the school bell, signifying that class was over. He stuffed his notebook into a faded black backpack that was adorned with patches of metal bands and safety pins before slinging it over one shoulder. He stood with his friends and they made their way to the exit until Mrs. Petrov called for him.

"Rocco! Could I speak to you for a minute?" she asked. Rocco exchanged looks with Claude, Kat, and Tripp.

"We'll meet you after school," Tripp assured and they left the classroom. Rocco reluctantly trudged towards her desk where she sat behind. One of his hands was stuffed into the pocket of his slightly sagging skinny jeans, his waist draped with spiked and bullet belts, and the other clutched the shoulder strap of his backpack, his wrist sporting a matching spiked bracelet as his belt.

"Yes?" he asked, slightly irritated.

"Rocco, I know you're struggling in my class," she said flatly. He narrowed his eyebrows. "Your test scores are extremely low, you never turn in any homework … I can only think of one solution that doesn't involve holding you back a year in math."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" he snapped. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyebrows, crossing her arms over her chest. He didn't like the idea of being held behind in math, because, truth was, it wasn't just math he'd have to worry about flunking. It was all of his subjects. He might as well flunk the eleventh grade. He couldn't do that, though. He couldn't disappoint his parents any further than he already did. He had to pass the eleventh grade. He had to graduate from high school.

He mentally cursed himself, his parents, and the vampire gods for being a half-vampire. If he'd been a full-blooded vampire, then he wouldn't have to come to high school. He could stay at home, be homeschooled like normal vampires. He wouldn't be a disappointment to his parents because he'd be a normal vampire.

"A tutor," Mrs. Petrov said. "I will assign a tutor to you. If the tutor doesn't help, then I'll have no choice but to flunk you, and, trust me, that's the last thing I want to do. I think one year is enough time to have you in my classroom." She said this in a teasing tone, but Rocco knew she wasn't joking. He was a bit of a troublemaker.

"A tutor? Are you serious?" Rocco asked in disbelief.

"Completely. Oh, and in order to prevent anything from keeping you from your studies, I'm telling your coach to suspend from the extracurricular sports teams. You need to get at least a C in my class if you're going to pass and move on to twelfth grade math," said Mrs. Petrov firmly. Rocco's eyes widened in fury. He was going to be_ suspended_ from the sports teams? How unfair was that?

Rocco stared at her with narrowed eyes and groaned. "Well, I'm sorry for being so stupid," he muttered.

"You're not stupid," she said sincerely. "You just don't apply yourself. I'll find you the best tutor, okay? Like I said, I don't want you to flunk." Rocco rolled his eyes. He got that "you don't apply yourself" crap every year from every teacher. It was really getting old.

"Whatever. Mr. Gruel is going to hate you for making him suspend me," Rocco warned.

"I think I'll live," she joked, but that only made Rocco glare even harder. "Now, get going to your next class. You can't afford to flunk any more of your classes."

Rocco scoffed as he turned on the heel of his battered Converse. "Too late," he said over his shoulder, and left for his next class.

* * *

Rocco leaned against his locker with disappointment. He'd reached enough stupidity to earn himself a personal tutor to help him with all of his subjects. What was worse was the fact that he had to be suspended from sports so he could concentrate on his studies. He couldn't believe it! Sports! The very reason he wanted to come to school—so he could play—and now it was taken away from him.

He growled and glared, then suddenly turned and threw a fist into the metal door of his locker, creating a large dent in it. He hated Mrs. Petrov. As he opened his locker to take the dent out of the door, he thought of how _parched _he was. Nobody would suspect him of any relation to Mrs. Petrov's disappearance, right?

"Hey," a familiar female voice chimed from behind. Rocco turned, his narrowed eyes meeting Kat's dulled expression as she cracked her bubblegum before blowing a bubble. It popped and she continued to chew it. "Beating up your locker again? What did it do this time?"

Rocco rolled his eyes. "Let's just go already," he said to Claude, who stood beside Kat, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his leather jacket. He nodded and the quartet of half-vampires walked out of the school.


	2. The Cathedral

**O2. **_The Cathedral_

* * *

"You're joking, right?" Tripp asked in disbelief when Rocco retold the conversation to his friends as Claude drove them to the Sterling castle.

"I wish," Rocco scoffed.

"I can't believe Petrov is making Gruel suspend you from sports," Claude said, shaking his head. Kat cracked her gum from the front passenger seat.

"You think anyone would notice a missing teacher?" she suggested jokingly. Rocco rolled his eyes.

"I already considered it," he muttered.

"Well, I guess all you can hope for is that the tutor is either a dude or a highly unattractive chick because a distraction is really what you don't need at the moment if you have to study," Tripp said with a shrug. "What will your parents say when they hear you've been suspended from sports?"

"I don't even want to think about that. Sports are really all that's keeping me from being an unworthy child, because I'm good at them. I mean, I'm failing school and I'm a half-vampire. They might as well disown me now," Rocco scoffed, crossing his brawny arms over his chiseled chest, which was pressed into a plain black shirt that hugged his torso. He blew a loose strand of black hair that had escaped from his knit cap out of his face out of irritation.

"We all know how you feel," Kat said sympathetically, her eyes set on the road ahead of them, her face still neutral, but her tone saddened.

"Yeah. Being an outcast in both worlds isn't exactly every teenager's dream, vampire or not," Claude seethed. "I mean, I'm from a family of royal vampires and am only granted half of the power I was born to have."

"The bullies suck too," Tripp chimed.

"If you're talking about Octavian Helms—" Rocco started.

"Don't even _say_ that name," Kat hissed, twisting around the seat to glare at him. Rocco glared back at her for the tone, but he kept his mouth shut. If anyone hated Octavian Helms, renowned womanizing vampire in perhaps all of Romania, it was Kat. He'd been her boyfriend, and she'd been in love with him, but the bastard had broken her heart and dumped her, and now he likes to prod at them, especially because they were half-vampires. The guy made Rocco sick to his stomach and also wanted to shove his hard knuckles into his face to rearrange it. He couldn't stand the things he did to Rocco's friends, and, because of his size and strength, Octavian declared Rocco a rival. There was never a time when they met that they didn't break out into a fist fight, or rather, a _fang_ fight.

"Well, anyway, I guess you'll just have to make do with the tutor," Tripp sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I mean, what else can you do? The only way to do sports again is if you get your grades up."

"I know. I have no other choice, and I'm definitely not flunking. I need to get out of high school, not stay as long as I can," Rocco muttered.

Claude pulled up the drive of the Sterling Castle and parked it around the front. Rocco climbed out of the car, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and slumping as he followed his friends up the steps to the grand doors of the castle. Today was going by worse than he could have expected.

"Why don't we go to the club tonight?" Claude suggested as they climbed the grand staircase and walked into Claude's room. The other inhabitants of the castle were still sleeping, since the four of them were the only half-vampires in the castle.

"But Rocco needs to study and do his homework. He has to start turning stuff in," Tripp mentioned. Kat rolled her eyes.

"Just copy ours and turn it in. Besides, I could really use a night out clubbing," she said, tossing her Hello Batty tote bag to the floor and dropping her body into a black egg chair, popping a bubble.

"She's got a point," Claude pointed.

"Okay, but that only solves the homework problem," Rocco said. "My test grades suck, and, not only that, but I have to worry about my other academics as well."

Kat gasped mockingly. "Wow! Rocco used a big word!" He glared daggers at her.

"Bite me, Kat," he snarled.

"Anyway, Rocco's right," Tripp intercepted.

"Well, let's just worry about the homework situation first, and then we'll go clubbing. Besides, Petrov said she was going to find a tutor for you, so you'll probably meet with them tomorrow, or whatever," Claude said, waving his hand dismissively in the air.

"Fine," Rocco muttered as he sat on the ground and fished out a notebook. The others did the same and tossed him their work to look at. With quick, messy scrawl, Rocco scribbled down the problems and answers to the questions the other three did in calculus today.

"I wonder who Petrov is going to have tutor you," Tripp pondered aloud.

"Well, who's the smartest person in the school?" Claude asked. "Other than me, of course."

Kat rolled her eyes and tossed a pillow at his head. "Please. Just because you're a vampire doesn't make you smarter than everybody else. Believe it or not, there are humans smarter than _you_, and that is saying a lot." Claude narrowed his eyebrows at her while producing a pout. "She could pair Rocco up with one of us, though."

"No, you guys are too distracting," Rocco mumbled.

"What about that one girl in all of the senior classes?" suggested Tripp. "I mean, if she's taking all senior classes, then she must be one of the smartest kids in the school."

"Oh! I know who you're talking about!" Claude exclaimed. "She's the blonde girl, right? Super shy, human, kinda cute …"

"She hangs out with some losers—although that Paige girl dresses kind of cool. At least she has some style compared to the others," Kat scoffed.

"Well, yeah, that's the girl I'm talking about," Tripp said. "Anyway, besides that, she is really smart. If she ends up your tutor, then you'll be able to play in sports again in no time," he added optimistically.

This brought a grin to Rocco's face. The sooner he could play in sports, the better. The good grades in class wouldn't be so bad either, as it would boost his parents praise for him.

"Guys! Stop distracting him. He needs to finish copying so we could get ready for the club!" Claude exclaimed. "Besides, I want to get there before my annoying cousin wakes up," he added in a mumble.

"Alexander's cute. There's nothing wrong with him, except that he's a full vampire and you're not," Kat said nonchalantly.

"That's _exactly_ why he's so annoying! You know Alexander gets everything he wants," Claude snapped. Kat rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Claude, _you_ are being distracting," Rocco snapped. "Shut up for a bit, okay?"

Claude glared at him, but Tripp gave him a warning look and he simmered down.

* * *

The music of Finnish band Sonata Arctica blasted through the speakers of the local nightclub, the Cathedral. The Cathedral was an abandoned church building from the eighteen hundreds. Only fifty years ago was it finally put to use again. The building was tall and pointed, and the round stained glass windows flashed with colors from the strobe lights inside.

Rocco was welcomed with the pounding rock music, gothic decorations, and fog machines when he stepped inside the Cathedral. Most of the clubbers were human, but Rocco knew there were Romanian vampires that ventured the club as well.

He led his clique through the crowds of moshing gothic clubbers, pushing through them and leading his friends towards the bar near the back of the club. They met with the bartender, a younger man of about twenty-five with brown styled Scene hair and thickly outlined green eyes, whom the quartet knew well.

"Hey guys," he greeted with a nod of his head. Kat's black lips turned into a seductive smile, which was rare for her.

"Remy Munro," she chimed. "Having fun tending to the humans?"

Remy Munro was very much different than the other humans, as he wasn't human at all—at least not anymore. He was one of those cases of human-turned-vampire. Luckily for him, however, his biter wasn't into him so much as to turn him while on sacred ground, so she bared her fangs at him at another nightclub while they made love in one of the back rooms. He liked to boast about his story to the company of half-vampires when they met with him at the Cathedral, and any vampires who came his way.

Remy scoffed and rolled his eyes before he leaned onto the bar, his face mere inches from hers as he flashed his new set of genuine vampire fangs.

"Not as much as I could be having with you behind the building," he teased, running his pierced tongue over his lips. Kat's eyes narrowed and she grinned widely. Claude rolled his eyes and pulled Kat away.

"Okay Remy. We were just here for some Executioners," he said as Kat glared at him. Rocco rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest, accentuated the toned muscle of his biceps.

"Cool down, little half-vamp. I'll get you what you want," sighed Remy as he leaned back and returned to his job. Claude shot daggers at the back of his head.

"Thanks for interrupting, Sterling," snarled Kat from beside Claude. Remy finished filling the goblets and turned back to them, sliding them on the bar. He smirked at her.

"Don't worry, darlin'. He's interrupted _nothing_ yet." He puckered his lips at her and Claude faked a gag, but suddenly he wasn't the only one choking on his drink when a voice chimed from behind them.

"Come on, Munro. Find your own half-vampies to flirt with. Kitty Kat is mine," sneered the smug voice of Octavian Helms.

Rocco immediately turned, as did his friends, who were all clutching their goblets with intense anger. Octavian Helms was only a couple years older than the half-vampire quartet, and he was a pureblooded vampire, which he liked to boast about often times. His family wasn't nearly as royal as the Sterlings, but the Helmses were wealthy enough to be, and they were all just as smug as Octavian.

He crossed his toned arms over his chest, which was covered up by nothing but a pinstriped waistcoat, his pallid skin contrasting with the dark material. His legs were encased in a pair of black slim-fitting designer jeans, numerous belts adorned with studs, bullets, and chains hanging from his waist, while his feet were stuffed into a pair of white Creepers. He flicked his short, jet black hair out of his face, fringes escaping and falling about his ears. His dark amber eyes glittered mischievously at the quartet, flashing his teeth in a wide-set grin.

"How are my favorite half-vamps?" he teased before his eyes landed on Kat's maliciously contorted features. "Especially you, Kitty Kat."

"Don't _ever_ call me that!" she hissed.

"Ooh, a bit touchy, are we? PMS-ing, doll?"

"Go to Hell," she snarled.

"Hey, I'm not about to let this riffraff go on in front of me, okay?" Remy intercepted. "Leave them alone, Tavian."

"Sorry, but I don't take orders from a former human; I only give them," Octavian snapped.

"Just get out of here, Helms," Rocco growled. "You clearly aren't wanted."

Octavian turned his gaze on him, glaring through his amber orbs.

"Excuse me?" he seethed. Rocco stood up straight and placed his drink on the bar behind him. He crossed his arms and stared straight into Octavian's eyes. The two stood at equal height, and with their equal size, they were an even match. Rocco was athletic and Octavian practiced boxing.

"Do I really need to repeat myself?" Rocco questioned. "Everybody else heard me."

"You better watch it, half-vampire," spat Octavian. "I've got no problem driving me fist into your face."

"If you didn't have a problem with it, then you'd be doing it instead of saying it," Rocco countered. Octavian growled savagely and raised his fist.

"I said to not fight in here!" Remy scolded, jumping over the counter to get in between them. "Take it outside!"

"Don't you _dare_ belittle me, Rocco," Octavian seethed. He pushed Remy away from him and left the group to find himself a lusty girl to snack on.

"God he's such a douchebag," scoffed Kat, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, and we're not even the ones who dated him," Tripp said.

"Don't even remind me," she groaned.

"Well he's gone. Though, next time, Rocco," Claude said, "you really need to give him a taste of your fist. Don't even let _Remy_ here stop you." He scowled at the bartender as Remy rolled his eyes.

"I don't want to get fired, okay? I still need money to pay for rent, you know," he said.

"It's okay," Kat intercepted. "We don't even care to see that asshole anymore. Octavian can go screw around with some other girl. Nobody cares."

Remy smirked at Kat's nonchalant attitude, but Rocco knew her better than that. Octavian had really hurt her when he'd broken up with her, and he knew that Kat wasn't completely over him. Sure, she hated him, but it was the exact reason why he, Tripp, and Claude hated him too. The quartet looked out for each other, and the way Rocco looked out for Kat was by colliding fists with Octavian. The two were rivals, and Rocco made sure that he put the smug little rich brat in his place.


	3. Tutee

**O3. **_Tutee_

* * *

The bell shrilled to life when class ended. Rocco gathered his notebook and stuffed it into his backpack. He'd turned in the homework he'd copied from his friends at the beginning of class, and Mrs. Petrov was surprised to see him turning work in. Rocco felt proud of himself, despite the fact that it wasn't actually _his_ work that he'd turned in, but he'd contributed to raising his grade.

"Rocco," Mrs. Petrov called as he and his friends made their way towards the door. He turned and looked over his shoulder. "I'd like to speak with you."

He left his friends, who agreed to see him later on in another class, and approached his calculus teacher. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his black skinny jeans, which sported holes in the knees and numerous bullet and studded belts around the waist. His feet were stuffed into studded combat boots, and his chiseled torso pressed in a sleeveless jacket, the hood draped over his shaggy, untamable black hair. To complete his look, he sported his trademark spiked dog collar around his neck.

"I've found you a tutor," she said joyfully. Rocco arched a thick eyebrow.

"Really? Who?"

"You should know her—she's in your year," she started. "Although she is in all senior classes, so you wouldn't share any hours with her."

Rocco's eyebrows rose. So his tutor _was_ the girl Claude, Tripp, and Kat were talking about yesterday. The shy blonde human girl.

"Her name's Jennalee Summers. Ring a bell?" Mrs. Petrov said.

It did sort of. He vaguely knew who she was. He'd probably seen her passing in the halls, and maybe had one class with her in the past, but he didn't know her personally.

Mrs. Petrov didn't wait for Rocco to answer her as she continued.

"I've asked her to get together with you as soon as possible. She said she could meet today at lunch in the library," she explained. Rocco mentally groaned. Lunch was his only free time and he liked to spend it wisely, at least in his eyes—spending lunch in the library was not spending it wisely to Rocco.

She saw the disgust on his face at having to give up his lunch period to study with a tutor. "She's going to expect you," she said firmly, "so you better go."

Rocco narrowed his eyebrows. "What if I don't?" he challenged. She arched an eyebrow, placing a hand on her hip.

"Then you can say goodbye to extracurricular sports and say hello to another year of eleventh grade calculus," she snapped, and then sighed. "Rocco, I really want you to pass my class. Why do you think I'm going through the trouble to find someone to help you? You don't have to do this for anyone else—_don't_ do it for anyone else. Just do it for yourself, alright?"

The bell rang again to start next period. Rocco groaned and finally gave in.

"Fine," he grumbled, "but only if you give me a pass to my next class."

* * *

Rocco's boots shuffled across the carpeted floor of the library, the buckles clinking together with every step. The library was a foreign room to him. He was never in here, unless he was here with his class researching a project, but even then he never took advantage of the knowledge within the bookshelves.

He scanned the room for a pale blonde girl. There weren't too many at his school, so when he found her, he wasn't surprised that she was surrounded by darker-haired students.

Rocco sighed heavily. She was sitting with another girl, a girl who contrasted in style with her as much as he did, and he felt a twinge of annoyance. Jennalee was supposed to be here helping _him_ study. If he was giving up his lunch time, then she needed to give up hers and tell her friend to vamoose.

Jennalee's friend glanced up, peering at him through deep ocean blue eyes, which were rimmed in thick eyeliner. She nudged Jennalee and Jennalee looked the direction she nodded her head.

Her eyes locked onto his, and Rocco was surprised to see the utter beauty in the glittering light green color. In fact, he was so surprised that, on impulse, he immediately looked away, dropping his gaze to his feet. He grunted as he shifted the strap of his backpack on his shoulder and walked forth, making his way towards her table. When he arrived, he looked back up, noticing her fair cheeks flushing red, her eyes glued to the table. Her friend eyed Rocco warily before standing and pushing in her chair.

"I'll see you later, Jenny," she said. Jennalee looked up and nodded her farewell.

"Bye, Paige," she muttered. Her eyes shifted his way and she smiled at him shyly.

"I guess you're my tutor," Rocco said awkwardly, rocking back on the heels of his feet.

"And you must be my tutee," she replied. Rocco's expression twisted with puzzlement.

"Your what?"

"It's what one calls someone who is being tutored," she said quickly and embarrassed.

"Oh," Rocco said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Silence stilled between them for a couple moments later as he stood awkwardly before her sitting frame.

"Would you like to sit?" she asked.

"Yeah. Sure. Thanks," he mumbled. She smiled shyly again and nodded. "Er—I'm Rocco, by the way. You're Jennalee, right?" He felt stupid for asking, but their conversation was going nowhere, and a form of introduction was a bit helpful, except for that pathetic last bit of his comment.

She giggled and nodded. "Yes, but you can call me Jenna," she said.

"Oh, okay."

More silence. Rocco was dreading this already. And, to top it all off, his tutor was actually a really cute girl. So much for not being distracted.

"Mrs. Petrov said you needed help in eleventh grade calculus," Jenna started. "What exactly did you need help with?"

Rocco scoffed and rolled his eyes as he dropped his backpack at his feet. "Everything," he mumbled. "I'm the dumb kid in the class. That's why I'm here with the tutor." He flashed her a sarcastic smile. Jenna frowned.

"I wouldn't say you're dumb," she said sadly.

"You don't know me," Rocco argued.

"I don't think there's such thing as a dumb person. There are just those who don't try to apply themselves."

Oh God. Now he was getting the _apply yourself_ crap from his peer tutor.

"Oh my God. You too? Don't even _begin_ to give me crap about applying myself," he snarled. Jenna's eyes widened and her plump lips snapped shut in fear.

"Sorry," she squeaked. Rocco sighed and rolled his eyes, slouching over the table, placing his jaw in his palm.

"Let's just get this over with," he groaned with a wave of his other hand. He couldn't wait to get out of school. This tutor business wasn't cutting it for him, just like he thought it wouldn't. The girl who was supposed to be his tutor was freaked out by him. It would be hard to hold a conversation with her without watching her tremble in her seat. Not only that, but she was really cute—like Claude had mentioned—and her blood smelled so good. It was a sweet smell through his nostrils and he resisted taking a sip from her neck.

Shaking the thought from his head, he watched as Jenna began to withdraw notebooks from her tote bag and lift textbooks onto the table.

"Okay, well, just in case, I brought books of all sorts of elements of calculus. We won't need to go over basic algebra, right?" she joked, but Rocco didn't really find it funny. Her smile turned forced before it fell from her face and she cleared her throat, hoping to make the awkwardness vanish between them.

"We're studying … something that starts with an L …" Rocco mentioned, the word he was searching for slipping his mind.

"Limits?" Jenna suggested. "Logarithms?"

"That's it," Rocco said. "Logarithms. I don't even get how to solve those stupid things. There are so many damn rules," he growled.

"It's-it's not that bad," she stammered, and Rocco could tell he had, once again, frightened her. God, couldn't she give him a break? "The trick is to remember just the basic rules, and they will help you with practically any log problem."

"Now there are _basic_ rules?" Rocco groaned. "Somebody murder me."

"Don't worry. By the time I'm through with you, you'll be an expert at calculus, _especially_ logarithms. They might even have to put you in my math class," Jenna giggled, joking. Rocco scoffed.

"Oh please. Aren't you taking all senior-level classes? Hell, I'm better off in freshman math," Rocco muttered.

"We should get started," Jenna suggested. She flipped through a couple of her notebooks before folding them back. They were notes of equations, scribbled neatly in curvy handwriting. Even her handwriting looked sweet and innocent—but Rocco suddenly realized that this thought was completely ridiculous and shook it from his mind.

_What the hell's wrong with you, Roc? Shut up with your stupid thoughts!_

He decided to focus on the actual equations. They were the logarithms that Mrs. Petrov was going over today, but even with Jenna's notes he still didn't understand. Hopefully a step-by-step would help, because he did not understand how log-sub-3 X-squared minus log-sub-3 X equaled two. There weren't even any twos, other than the little one above the first X. It was A plus A equals B all over again.

This was going to be a long lunch period—but not in a good way. At least his tutor was a cute girl.


	4. You Make Me Feel Something

**O4. **_You Make Me Feel Something_

* * *

Rocco's study date went a little quicker than he thought it would. At first, it was dreadful. Rocco continued to say things and behave in a way that made Jenna feel uncomfortable, but he was just really nervous in front of her. After all, she was extraordinarily pretty. Her glistening green eyes were framed with long lashes that brushed against cherub cheeks, and were separated by a dainty nose that was dotted with a few pale freckles. Her lips were plump and pink and he noticed she had a really nice smile. She constantly combed her long, pale blonde hair behind her ear, which sported only two little hoops in the earlobe, as she led him through his math problems.

And as Rocco began to really notice Jenna, he began to enjoy the time he was spending with her, and even absently drifted away from tutoring. His mind continued to study her features instead of the logarithmic homework problems Mrs. Petrov gave him.

Her skin was fair, just a tad sun-kissed from the summer but it was slowly degrading into a paler color, yet she would be nowhere near as pale as he. Her side-swept bangs skimmed just above thin eyebrows, and her eyes were outlined in such thin eyeliner, he didn't even notice it at first. She had a relatively curvy, but he only realized this when their tutoring session was over and she stood to leave. She wasn't very tall, either—she didn't even reach his shoulders. Of course, her height wasn't so surprising—Rocco was bigger than most kids.

"Rocco?" Jenna's voice cut through his thoughts and he blinked. Her eyebrows were knitted together in puzzlement. "Are you listening?"

"Oh, yeah," he said, shaking his head. "What did you say?" he blurted. Jenna gave him a look and sighed.

"Look, you need to pay attention and not let your mind wander elsewhere. I know math can get boring when you don't understand, but you do want to pass your class, right?" she said.

"Sorry, sorry," he muttered, and then grabbed a pencil and turned the notebook towards him. "Okay, so, what do I do now?"

Afterward he'd ogled at her, the tutoring began to go better. He did continue to drift away from her tutoring to admire her, but he strained to concentrate on his work. It was difficult, though—Tripp was right when he'd said a cute girl would be too much of a distraction, and Jenna was a _really_ cute girl. He thought it odd, though, that he found her so attractive. She was his polar opposite in every way. She wore pastels, he wore black. He was goth, she was not. He was half a vampire, and she was fully human. He figured if he was going to be attracted to a girl she'd at least be goth and vampire, but Jenna was neither.

They'd gotten through more than half of Rocco's calculus, and he was actually proud that he'd done it himself, rather than copying his friends'. By the time the lunch bell had rang, he still wasn't completely confident doing the work by himself, but he was smiling at what he'd accomplished.

"You sure look proud," Jenna giggled when she noticed his smile. It immediately fell from his face, which then turned a rather pinkish color.

"It's no big deal," he said nonchalantly, shrugging one shoulder. Jenna arched an eyebrow. "I'll finally be turning something in. Now Petrov will have even more work to grade."

"Well, it's a start to raising your mark," Jenna said happily. "That's what I'm here for." She stood from the table, exposing her curvy figure to Rocco, along with her height, and smiled kindly at him, slinging her tote bag over her shoulder. She was dressed in a white lacey tank top under a beige knit shawl with sleeves that ended just a little passed her fingertips. He noticed how nicely the tank top shaped her bust before shaking his head to get rid of the potentially obscene thought. Her shapely legs were molded by a pair of white-washed skinny jeans that clung to her, as her dainty feet were encased in a pair of white flats. Everything about her was innocent and white, but it still didn't keep Rocco from being attracted to her.

She grabbed the textbooks from the table and clung them to her chest. "I should put these back."

"I'll do it," Rocco offered, standing up and holding out his hand. He totally towered over her, so much that Jenna had to tilt her head up to look up at him. But, again, he was used to it. It probably didn't help Jenna's case that Rocco was so used to being around short girls who wore five-inch platforms.

"Are you sure? It's fine with me," Jenna said.

"You're taking the time to tutor a dumb kid like me. It's the least I can do," he insisted.

"You're not dumb. I told you this already."

"Jenna, I'm dumb, and I know it. You don't have to deny it either." She made a face at him. He ignored it and gently tore the books from her grasp. "But I'm not dumb enough to put some books back." Her disapproving expression turned into a shy smile.

"Okay. Well, I guess we should plan our next tutoring session," she suggested.

Before now, if somebody were to ask if he would spend every lunch for the rest of the week in the library being tutored, he would have laughed cruelly in their face. But now, he actually thought it'd be a good idea. He really needed the help, Jenna was a great tutor, and she was a really pretty girl. Besides, his friends wouldn't miss him that much, and it was only during lunch time.

"Why don't we meet here every day at lunch for the rest of the week?" Rocco suggested. Jenna's eyebrows arched as she beamed.

"Okay. If you really want to. I'll schedule you in to my plans," she giggled. Rocco grinned crookedly, and Jenna bid him goodbye. He watched as she turned to leave, but she suddenly looked over her shoulder and said, "I know you were smiling earlier." He gave her a puzzled look. "About being proud of your work. You were smiling before I'd said anything. I, uh, just thought that I'd …" She looked away, turning her head back briefly before looking over her shoulder again. "You should smile more often. It's a really nice smile." And then she blushed again and turned around, quickly making her way out of the library, clutching on to the strap of her tote bag as she made her quick getaway. Rocco stared after her, eyes wide with surprise, his face reddened with embarrassment.

* * *

"So, how was you study date?" Kat teased as she, Rocco, Tripp, and Claude made their way out the school to the parking lot to Claude's car. Claude and Tripp snickered from in front of them as Rocco scowled at her.

"It wasn't a _date_," he said defensively. "It was just some stupid tutoring."

"I can't believe Jennalee Summers is your tutor, though," said Tripp. "I don't know whether this is good or bad."

"It's totally good," Claude said, waving a hand in the air. "She's adorable."

"Which is why it could be a _bad_ thing," Tripp sighed. "Rocco doesn't need any distractions."

"Don't worry. She isn't a distraction. She's not that pretty," Rocco mumbled. Claude's eyebrows rose.

"Good. What the hell's wrong with you anyway, Claude?" snapped Kat. "You can't encourage Rocco falling for a human. Have you forgotten that they're our prey?" Claude rolled his eyes.

"Relax. I wasn't encouraging anything. She's not even Rocco's type anyway. He needs a badass chick with more of a bite," Claude teased, nudging Rocco. Rocco rolled his eyes.

"Rocco doesn't need any kind of chick right now. He needs to focus on his tutoring," Tripp scolded. The grin from Claude's face dropped.

"Killjoy," he muttered.

"You guys do realize that I'm still here and can speak for myself, right?" Rocco snapped.

"All of you need to calm your balls," Kat snapped. "We all need a drink. How about a hunt tonight?"

"Sure. Jennalee's blood should be tasty," Claude teased. Rocco glared at him and a strange sense of overprotection and possession overcame him.

_"No!"_ he growled as he stopped in his tracks. His teeth were bared and he was breathing heavily. His three friends looked at him strangely and Rocco shook his head. What was wrong with him? First he was admiring the most innocent girl in school, next he was becoming possessive over her?

"Rocco, chill out," Claude said. "It was a joke."

"Why are you so uptight?" asked Tripp.

"I'm _not_ uptight," Rocco said defensively. He sighed heavily. "I think I'll skip out on hunting this time."

"What? No way!" Claude protested.

"No, Claude's right; you need the blood," Kat said firmly. "All this talk about that goody-two-shoes tutor of yours is turning your brain to mush. You need a drink and a night out with some girls who are really worth talking about."

"I'm not going clubbing again, Kat," he refused. "I need to do my homework before I forget everything Jenna taught me."

Claude and Kat exchanged looks of horror. Tripp shrugged his shoulders and blasted his music.

"Okay, what happened to our Rocco? We let you go for thirty minutes during lunch and you come back like this?" Claude exasperated.

"Can you guys stop being overdramatic? I told you, I'm not interested in her. I'm doing this tutoring thing because I want to pass my classes and do sports again. Stop jumping to stupid conclusions. What—are you afraid I'll fall in love with her and ditch you guys?" Rocco scoffed. "I need to get home, so if we could please hurry, I'd like to finish my homework, thanks." He stormed off to the car and waited for his friends to catch up. He was fed up, but perhaps that was because they didn't approve of this new pairing of his. Besides, he wasn't even dating her.

He thought about what he'd said about not being interested in her in the first place and wondered if it were true or not.

Of course it was true! Jenna was clearly not his type. She was too soft and innocent. There was no edge or danger about her.

However, he did know one thing about her: she'd liked his smile, and he'd loved hers.


	5. Angelic Face

**O5. **_Angelic Face_

* * *

The room was surrounded by black walls and floored with dark hardwood planks. A single window drawn with thick black velvet drapes was built on one side of the room. Posters of heavy metal bands were tacked all over the walls, and even the ceiling, and a small metal skull hung from the broken chandelier in the middle of the room. Opposite from the window sat a long dark dresser, coated in graffiti and death metal stickers. A couple of melting candles sat on top of it, amongst a handful of various other knick-knacks.

Rocco slouched in his open coffin underneath the drawn window, his knees brought up to form a stand to lay his textbook against. On the opposite page he was looking at was his math notebook.

He'd been working on the last half of math problems from his homework for the past half hour since Claude had dropped him off. He was continuing to struggle with his work and he realized how greatly he needed Jenna there with him. He was forgetting everything she'd taught him, the rules and techniques she used to help her remember how to do these problems.

He groaned and tilted his head back, letting the loose black strands that tickled his forehead fall away from his face. There was no use. He wouldn't be able to do his homework. Why hadn't he gotten Jenna's phone number, in case something like this happened? He cursed himself for being so stupid. He supposed he'd been too distracted by her beauty, and then by her tutoring.

Rocco began to question himself again about being so attracted to someone like Jenna Summers. He knew saying that Jenna wasn't a distraction to his friends was an outright lie, which he soon felt guilt about, since he'd never lied to them before, but he wanted to spare himself the nagging from Kat. In truth, Rocco felt himself _completely_ attracted to Jenna, but he still wondered why. He'd never been attracted to a girl like her before. She wasn't his type at all.

He closed his eyes and manifested an image of her shy face in his mind. Her bright blue eyes smiled at him with her plump pink lips. He imagined her combing her long, pale blonde hair out of her face and placing it behind her ear. He imagined her closing the distance between them as she leaned over the math book between them. And then she looked up at him, and her eyes met his dark ones. They weren't scared, like how he'd first seen them when she'd laid eyes on him. They were confident, and as they lowered to her lips, he began to lean into her.

And then a disturbing knocking cut through his thoughts.

"Rocco, I've made breakfast," his mother said from the other side of the door. She twisted the dulled knob and walked inside, noting the articles of clothing strewn over the floor, over his armchair, and hanging out of the open drawers of his dresser. Her face twisted with disappointment, a usual expression for Rocco.

"I'm not hungry," he said. "I ate at school."

"I made waffles with bloodberry syrup though," she said. "Isn't that your favorite?"

He sighed and closed his math book, tossing it in front of him before climbing out of his coffin.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming," he said. His mother looked about the room one last time before nodding and leaving the door.

Groaning, Rocco ran his fingers through his hair, grazing his gauged earlobes. He scratched one of his sideburns as he shook his head. What the hell had he'd been daydreaming about? He couldn't really be _that_ into Jenna, could he?

He walked out of his room and climbed down the narrow spiral staircase of his old Victorian-styled home. He met his parents in the dining room, where an antique dining chairs and table were set and a low, candlelit chandelier hung directly above.

His father was also a burly man, taller than Rocco himself. He sported himself a goatee and thick sideburns, sideburns identical to Rocco's. His black hair was long and tied back, letting it trail down his back. His figure was drenched in a black silk robe, his legs encased in black pajama pants. He sat at the table, a mug of red liquid in one hand and the newspaper Rocco had brought in that morning in another.

Rocco's mother sat adjacent to her husband. She was also a tall woman with a slender body. Her long, curly, black hair was let loose down her back and her body was covered up with her own black silk robe. She flashed dark brown eyes up at her son, her lashes brushing against her cheeks as she blinked.

"Care for some waffles, sweetheart?" she asked. Rocco stared at her before taking a seat across from her and pulling the platter of red-drenched waffles. His father hadn't even lowered the paper to say hello to him.

Rocco and his parents weren't close, obviously due to the fact that he was born a half-vampire rather than full-fledged like themselves. Not being the brightest student didn't help gain their pride either. It was only his talent at sports that made them beam, but Rocco knew his parents always expected more from him, not because they knew he could do better, but because they wanted him to be like them. They wanted him to belong in the full vampire world, but being so unsupportive only made Rocco feel more of an outsider than ever.

He stabbed a waffle from the platter and lifted it onto his plate. Rocco's mother dabbed her naturally red lips with a cloth napkin before taking a petite sip from a wine glass filled to the rim with blood.

She didn't ask him how school went because she already knew the answer, even though she really didn't. She _thought_ she knew the answer, that he was just struggling in all of his classes, not putting enough effort because he was the "dumb kid", but he'd done excellent in physical education and afterschool sports practice. She couldn't have been more wrong. Sure, Rocco had struggled in class and he'd done excellent in physical education, but there was no afterschool sports practice. She also didn't know about his new tutor, and he wasn't in a hurry to tell his parents about her.

Sometimes he'd wish his parents would ask about how his day at school was, though. Claude's parents did. Claude's _aunt and uncle_ did. And even though he always threw a rant about how school sucked and that he should have been born a full vampire to avoid going through human conundrums, he was lucky. At least his family cared, even if he refused to believe so.

Rocco swallowed the remanding of his waffle, downed his glass of blood, and silently excused himself from the table. His parents didn't even look up to watch him leave.

He stormed back up the stairs to his bedroom, slamming the door so forcefully, his entire room shook. He slammed his fists onto his closed coffin, a deafening crack sounding, and he'd realized he'd made yet another crack in his already thrashed coffin. He didn't care though. His strength always got the better of him. He threw the lid open and climbed inside, bringing his knees up to his chin as he folded his arms on top of them.

He'd never earn his parents pride. They would never tell him how proud of him they were, how they loved him even though he was only a half-vampire. It was bad enough he was teased by other full vampires for his half-vampirism, but to not have the respect he earned from his parents was honestly heartbreaking for him.

His glaring black eyes averted to the strewn math book at the foot of his coffin and scoffed, rolling his eyes. And now he couldn't even do his math homework because he'd forgotten everything Jenna had taught him. He really was the dumb kid.

He wondered what Jenna's home life was like. Did she have good parents? Any siblings? Was she wealthy, or average, or maybe even poor? It was possible she could live in the slums of Bucharest.

He shook his head again and groaned, running his fingers through his hair again. Why was he still thinking about her?

He reached for his textbook and opened it to the page he was on. He attempted to do the math problems yet again, but after a couple of minutes, he became impatient and tossed the book, along with his notebook, across the room. It smacked against his black wall and landed with a pound on the ground. He couldn't do it. He just didn't understand it. The tutoring wasn't helping. _Why_ wasn't it helping? He roared and resisted from punching a hole through his already severely cracked coffin lid.

Giving up, he dug in his pocket for his cell phone and pushed the buttons with his thumb. As the phone rang, he held it up to his ear.

"Hello?" asked a feminine voice.

"Hey, Kat," Rocco replied. "Are you still going to the club?" He could already see a smirk on her black lips.

"I knew you'd come around," she mused. "What changed your mind, Mr. I-need-to-get-home-to-do-my-homework?"

"Don't ask questions," Rocco snapped. "Be glad I'm even going."

"Rocco," she growled. "I'm not a moron. I know you're keeping something from us, and I _know_ it has to do with Jennalee."

"She prefers Jenna," Rocco blurted. He widened his eyes.

"What?"

"Never mind," he said quickly. "It's got nothing to do with her, okay? I want to go out now. I'll meet you guys at the Cathedral, then?"

"Rocco …"

"Usual time? Awesome. See you there," Rocco cut her off, and then snapped his phone shut. He slouched in his coffin, raising his knees as he ran his fingers through his hair, and sighed heavily.

"Get out of my head, Jenna," he murmured to himself as another manifestation of her angelic face appeared in his mind, smiling at him.


	6. Potential Savior

**O6. **_Potential Savior_

* * *

The pounding death metal music vibrated from the Cathedral, and Rocco could hear it literally a block away. He could also see the mile-long line that formed at the entrance, the darkly dressed bouncer taking identification from each clubber before allowing admittance into the pumping club. Rocco was grateful that he'd never have to wait in that painfully long line. The Cathedral had a secret back door that only the vampires of the city knew about. Only those of immortality were allowed through that door.

Rocco rounded the tall, pointed building, the steeple piercing the black sky and all of the stars that sprinkled over it. He found the wooden door and slipped through it.

Complete darkness blanketed his surroundings, but Rocco's vision was keen. Despite being half mortal, he could still see in the dark. He walked down a desolate hallway before approaching a tall iron door. A vampire bat hung from a rail above, and when he saw Rocco, he shifted into a humanoid figure, also dressed in black clothing.

"Well, well. If it isn't one of my regulars," chimed the vampire. "Where's the rest of your crew?"

"Meeting me here," Rocco answered huskily. The vampire mused before allowing the doors to open for him.

"Enjoy the club, half-vamp," he taunted before shifting back into the vampire bat and flying up to the railing. The door led Rocco through another hallway, and soon he'd arrived at the main room.

Rocco took a deep breath. He was here for a reason. It was either struggle over logarithms and try and force Jenna out of his thoughts, or come to the club and forget logs and his tutor. Hopefully he'd be able to drown them out with the European death metal and heavy moshing.

He pushed his way through the dancing crowds, releasing his tension as he let his body move fluidly to the edgy music. His mind began to empty, and the more he danced, the less he thought about Jenna. Rocco's friends had been right; it was a good idea to come to the club.

He danced for a while, but Claude, Kat, and Tripp hadn't arrived yet. He wasn't worried, though. They'd come eventually. He scanned the club absently, and his eyes suddenly landed on a familiar face.

She was Jenna's friend, Paige—the girl Kat claimed to have a decent sense in style. She'd also been with Jenna earlier that day in the library, when Rocco had arrived for his tutoring.

She looked up and her thickly rimmed eyes peered into his. She recognized him too. They stared at each other briefly, both surprised and embarrassed to see each outside of school. Suddenly, Rocco looked away, and he figured he could use a drink.

He approached the bar where Remy stood, tending to a seductive woman dressed in a skimpy vinyl dress. He noticed Rocco's arrival and beamed.

"Look whose back," he exclaimed as Rocco took a seat.

"Get me a Bloody Mary, won't you Remy? You know how I like them," Rocco ordered.

"I'll have the same, however you make his," a voice piped from the side. Remy and Rocco turned to see Paige perched beside Rocco. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her straight-across bangs and some loose strands framing her face, as her eyebrow arched at the bartender, her plump lips pressed tightly together. She was dressed in a black tank-top with a print of a bloodied razor and the name of a metal band in cursive script scrawled across her chest, a pair of hazardously torn black skinny jeans that clung to her legs, and combat boots. Numerous belts hung from her curvy waist and a pair of white suspenders draped over her shoulders. Her wrists were adorned with numerous rubber bracelets and wristbands, while a studded choker laced around her delicate neck.

The vampires exchanged surprised looks and Paige glared at Remy with impatience.

"Sure thing, miss," Remy said obligingly, and Rocco knew he'd serve her anything but what she asked for. He served the teenagers their drinks before moving on to other customers.

"So, you come her often?" Paige asked as she took a sip of her own version of her Bloody Mary. Rocco did the same as he shrugged.

"Yeah, you could say," he answered.

"That's weird, because I've never seen you here before."

"It's a big place. I never remember the people I meet here either," Rocco explained.

They were quiet for a bit longer as they guzzled down the rest of their drinks.

"So," Paige started. "Jenny told me about the tutoring. I guess it went well, huh?"

"She talked about me?" Rocco asked, a little too excited than he'd preferred to expose. Paige eyed him warily.

"Well, not really. She just mentioned that you struggled a bit, and how you were often in a daze."

A flood of embarrassment washed over any excitement he had from the idea that Jenna might have actually talked about him. Instead she thought he was odd and difficult to grasp the attention of.

And then he had to remind himself that he didn't care what Jenna thought of him. He only needed her for tutoring. Nothing else.

"Well, I guess it was nice talking to you. I'm Paige, by the way," she added, sticking out her hand. Rocco shook it. "You're Rocco, right?"

"Right," he said as he shook her dainty hand with his large one. "And I know who you are. You're Jenna's friend."

"_Best_ friend, actually," she corrected. "At least one of them, but who's counting?" She smirked. "Well, see you around."

She jumped off the stool, left a tip for Remy, and immediately disappeared into the crowd.

"Got a fancy for that one, eh?" Remy piped from behind him, giving Rocco a startle, collecting his pay. Rocco rolled his eyes as he turned towards the bar.

"No. She's just some human chick who goes to my school," he muttered.

"She's kinda cute. You might want to check her out a bit more," Remy advised.

"Oh shut up," Rocco snapped.

"Now that's rude," chimed a voice from behind. Remy beamed over his head, flashing his vampire fangs. Rocco turned to see his friends finally arrived.

"Jeez, what took so long?" Rocco snapped. Claude rolled his eyes.

"We got thirsty on the way. It couldn't wait. Sorry," he said, though sincerely apologetic. "What made you change your mind, anyway?"

"Shouldn't you be at home doing your homework? Did you finish it?" asked Tripp.

"I tried," Rocco said honestly. "I couldn't do it though. I'd forgotten everything Jenna taught me."

"And you were yelling at us to hurry up and get you home so you _wouldn't_ forget," Kat scoffed. "Besides, what's so good about the tutoring if you can't remember what you've been taught? Guess that Jenna girl isn't so good of a tutor after all. And everybody thinks she's going to be valedictorian." She scoffed again.

"Well, she is one of the smartest kids in the entire school," Tripp pointed out.

"I still think Rocco was too distracted by her adorableness," Claude teased. Rocco glared at him.

"When does your shift end, Remy?" Kat piped, cutting through the tension Rocco made with his eye contact. She narrowed her eyebrows and put on her flirty smirk, her lips spread wide. Remy grinned widely, his eyebrows arching.

"Well, well, little Miss Kat. Anxious for the renowned bartender, Remy Munro are you?"

"Hopefully we aren't talking about anything explicit," muttered Claude with an eye roll. It was always awkward when Kat flirted with older guys, particularly because she was one of their closest friends.

"Of course they are," Tripp said. "This is Kat and Remy we're talking about."

Rocco snickered and crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Let's just go to the dance floor. I like this song, anyway," he suggested and pushed his empty goblet towards Remy. Claude nodded in agreement and led his foursome to the crowded, fog-lined dance floor.

After hours of fist pumping, moshing, and dance with unfamiliar faces, the night was finally coming to a close at the club was beginning to empty. The bouncer came in to escort the clubbers out of the building. Rocco, Claude, Kat, and Tripp washed out of the double doors in the waves of night-owl goths.

"That was fun," Kat said, popping her gum before chewing it again to blow a bubble.

"It was," Rocco agreed, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"See? We told you it would be a good idea for you to come," Claude said.

"Though he _should_ have been at home doing his work," Tripp added.

"Can you forget about that, please?" Rocco groaned.

"You said it yourself! You needed to be at home rather than at a club. You said it while at school. That's why you yelled at us, remember?" Tripp said. Rocco wasn't going to argue further because, when they rounded the corner of the Cathedral, they saw a sight that their eyes didn't want to see.

"Hey little half-vamps," chimed Octavian Helms, a cigarette placed in between his first two fingers, leaning against the side of the club. He was surrounded by a couple of other full-fledged vampires, all sporting cigarettes and beer bottles filled with blood. The foursome glared at their enemy. "Isn't it past your bedtime?" he taunted.

"Shouldn't you be giving AIDS to some stupid airheaded girl?" Kat snapped. Octavian scoffed as he flicked his cigarette.

"Kitty Kat, you're just upset that I broke up with you. Can you believe the little girl said that she _loved_ me? How cute is that?" he said to his friends, who all cackled mockingly at the sole female of Rocco's affiliation.

Kat stood still, fuming, but hurt expressed all over her face. Rocco, Claude, and Tripp glared at the arrogant vampire and growled at him, crowding around Kat protectively.

"Shut your face, Helms, before we shut it for you!" snarled Claude. Rocco's glare hardened as his fists tightened at his side.

Octavian glared at the half-vampires as his drugged friends cackled some more. "Oh? And how are you going to do that?"

"I didn't think you'd need to ask," Rocco piped. "But since you did, that'll be _me_ showing you your place." He cracked his knuckles before cracking his neck back and forth.

"You're all pathetic," Octavian spat.

"And you're just scared," Claude retorted. Octavian growled inhumanely and his normally dark amber orbs flashed blood red. Veins throbbed along his neck, pulsing through his milky white skin. He bared his fangs, and even his friends stood back in fear of him.

Rocco glared at him and stood in front of Claude, guarding him.

"Sorry, but you don't scare me, Helms," sneered Rocco. Octavian snarled and swung a fist at him. Rocco dodged it, but only narrowly. Soon, Octavian was back for another punch, and this time he didn't miss.

Octavian's hits weren't measly or messy; they were sharp and tactical. He was a boxer, and he'd been practicing boxing for many years now. Fighting was in Octavian's blood. He lived for it.

Luckily for Rocco, he wasn't weak. He did possess power and strength. He wasn't brawny for no reason. And, Rocco also knew how to fight as well. It was something he'd picked up after being picked on by other full vampires, like Octavian, to stand up for himself and show them that he wasn't worthless. He didn't gain much respect like he'd wanted, however, but that only pushed him to become even stronger.

And now he was faced with said bully. It was time to put Octavian in his place.

Rocco put his fists up in a guard, mimicking Octavian's stance, and threw his own punches. Octavian blocked them and slapped them away, his lips twisting into a wicked grin.

"Such a pitiful excuse for a vampire. Good thing you've only got half the blood of one," Octavian taunted. "But you are undeserving of even that half."

Rocco hated being taunted by Octavian. He knew it wasn't wise to let his words get inside his head, but he couldn't help it. Fury raced down his spine like an electric shock, traveling through his arms and providing the power to give Octavian a good punch in the sucker. He threw his fist at him and felt his knuckles collide with his mouth.

Rocco withdrew and stared almost shocked at Octavian. Octavian's red eyes were wide and he was still. He gently dabbed his lip and withdrew it, noticing the red smears on his fingers. He snarled again. He was out for Rocco's blood now.

"I think we should go now," Tripp whispered.

"I don't think so, little pussy half-vamp," Octavian growled demonically. The four half-vampires widened their eyes.

"Tripp's right. We need to leave," Kat suggested and began tugging on Rocco's shirt.

Rocco began to resist, but suddenly, a sweet smell wafted through his nostrils. He wasn't the only one to smell it, though.

All of the vampires turned to the source of the smell. A white vintage Rolls-Royce cruised down the dark streets and Rocco could see a few figures sitting in the car. He widened his eyes at the sight of the pale blonde driver.

Jenna caught his eye and her car slowed when she approached the suspicious crowd. She was curious, but she wasn't stopping to see the commotion.

"Don't stop!" he heard the sole male in the vehicle scold her. He was sitting in the backseat behind her. Rocco couldn't help but narrow his eyes at him, but he knew he was right. He pleaded her with his eyes not to stop, and she seemed to get the hint. She picked up the speed and drove by. Relief flooded through his body, but it was immediately replaced with a gut-wrenching dread when he turned back to Octavian.

His eyes had been locked on to the vehicle, even as it disappeared into the distance. His lips were spread into a wide, hungry grin that made Rocco sick to his stomach. Octavian licked his lips, swiping the blood from his lip away with his tongue.

"Now _she_ is worth loving," he said, and Rocco could practically hear Kat's heart break from behind him. "She smells _delicious._"

"You will _not_ touch her," Rocco snarled, stepping towards him mercilessly.

"Aw, does little half-vampie Rocco have feelings for the human girl?" Octavian teased.

"No!" Rocco said, a little too quickly and defensively. Octavian burst into a wild laughter and shook his head.

"I'd like to meet her one day, and no one like you can stop me," he sneered tauntingly.

Octavian turned to his friends, snapped at them as if they were his servants, and the group of them all shifted into vampire bats, flying away into the sky before the sun came up.

Rocco's body filled with dread, but even more so, with fear. What in the world was Jenna doing out driving at three in the morning? Was she picking up Paige from the club, since she was indeed in the passenger seat?

One thing was for sure, he'd have to keep an extra eye out for Octavian Helms because, if he laid one finger—or fang—on her, Rocco wouldn't hesitate to drive a stake through his arrogant black heart.


	7. Something About You

**O7. **_Something About You_

* * *

Rocco was anxious to see Jenna the next day during their tutoring session. He also had to warn her to stay away from that vampire creep, Octavian. It was probably better for her to just stay indoors for the next couple of weeks, at least long enough until Octavian found a new girl to lust over. He didn't want to risk Jenna's blood to the Helms brat.

He raced to the library after fifth period was over. His combat boots echoed off the walls of the hallways as he pushed through the anxious crowds of hungry students walking the opposite direction of him. When he arrived at the library, he saw how practically empty it was. He guessed kids were still going to the cafeteria to get their lunches before coming back to the library. He was even there before Jenna.

He searched for a table that wouldn't be crowded with other kids. He actually wanted to be more isolated from the other students while being tutored by Jenna. He honestly enjoyed her presence, and he wanted to absorb it by himself. He didn't want to share her.

He spotted a table towards the back of the library that was small enough for a couple of people. He weaved through the maze of tables in the middle of the library and dropped his backpack on the table. He took a seat and, as he waited, his leg bounced rapidly. He fiddled with the zippers on his backpack, fingered the safety pins pierced through the material, and impatiently played with the snap-on clasps of his stud bracelets.

He thought about how he was going to warn her to stay away from Octavian. He obviously couldn't just say that he was a dangerous vampire and he was determined to take her for himself. It was a scary thought, but for an oblivious human, Jenna might take him for a bit of a crazy person. Perhaps he could advise her that the weather would be poor in Bucharest for the rest of the month, and that she should get out of town if she really wanted to enjoy the rest of the sunshine in another town. Or maybe he could tell her that a plague was loose and to prevent her from getting it, she should stay indoors or leave town.

He was so absorbed in his plotting that he didn't even notice the petite figure standing above him. He noticed her shadow and turned her way, slightly jumping at her presence.

Jenna smiled at him curiously, her pink lips plump and glittering from a thin layer of gloss. She combed a lock of her pin-straight pale blonde hair behind her ear, her large green eyes purposefully avoiding his dark ones out of shyness.

"Did I startle you?" she chuckled lightly. Rocco wanted to look away, but he was once again captivated by her beauty. The light behind her almost provided a glow around her figure, and Rocco had to blink twice before he came to the conclusion that she was literally glowing like an angel.

"Uh, no." He cleared his throat. "'Course not," he mumbled, shaking his head. He scanned over her figure quickly. Her figure was pressed into a white long-sleeved blouse that clung to her torso, accentuating her shape of her chest. Her sun-kissed legs were mostly bare, as they were only encased in a pair of miniature denim shorts. Rocco figured Jenna was trying to take advantage of the nice weather before the harsh winters hit. Her dainty feet were encased in a pair of white ballet flats and her beige tote bag was slung over her shoulder.

She stood shyly before taking a deep breath and allowing herself a seat beside him.

"Have you gotten any textbooks to practice out of?" she asked. Rocco, who was still hypnotized by her beauty, didn't respond right away. Jenna's thin eyebrows knitted together in puzzlement. "Rocco?"

The sound of his name in her voice brought him back to reality.

"Huh?" he blurted. She forced a smile.

"The textbooks. Did you get any?" she repeated.

"Oh, um …" He scrambled to his feet quickly. "Sorry. I'll get them." He left her table before she could say anything more and, feeling like a moron, left for the math books aisle of the library.

"I'm such an idiot," he grumbled under his breath. She probably thought him such a sketchy character—out at night around a group of thugs, darkly dressed, strange personality. If only she'd known who he really was, maybe things would be different.

He shook his head. Things would be different, but they'd also be worse. Jenna would be terrified of him. That, or she'd think him a lunatic. In any case, there would be no exposing his secret. If he exposed himself, he'd be exposing Claude, Kat, and Tripp as well. He'd never be forgiven. His parents would hate him even more.

Jeez. He hadn't realized how dangerous it was being around Jenna. The weird, affectionate feelings for her had to stop. He had to force himself to think differently of her. So what if Octavian took her? He'd done it before, and he'd do it again. It was what he did—take young women, lust over them, maybe take their innocence, and then feed from them. Jenna was a young woman, she was pretty, she was human. Why should she be any different from the others Helms fed on?

The thought of Jenna in his arms made chills run down his spine. His stomach clenched and his blood curdled with anger. Jenna was different because, unlike the other girls Octavian fed on, Rocco knew her. He knew she was nice and sweet and innocent. And he also knew she didn't deserve a fate like that. He didn't know her home life—and to spare him from his feelings, hopefully he never would—but nobody deserved to be lured in blindly like a dumb animal.

His acute eyes quickly scanned over the titles of the books, grabbed a couple of texts, and tucked them under his brawny arm, making his way back to his table.

He dropped the books on the table and sat back down next to her, his strong figure incredibly intimidating next to her dainty petite one. Jenna smiled at him shyly and took a book, opening it.

"Did you have any trouble with your homework?" she asked.

Homework.

Oh, that's right. The homework he didn't finish because he hadn't remembered the steps Jenna told him to help him with the problems. He'd turned it in, halfway done. Mrs. Petrov would notice immediately, though. Half credit was better than no credit, though, so it didn't really bother him.

"Trouble?" Rocco repeated. "Uh … well, those hints you gave me were useless. I couldn't figure out how to do the damn problems on my own." His eyebrows narrowed and he hadn't realized he'd growled at her. Jenna's eyes widened, her face turning red. He regretted saying what he did when he noticed her trembling in fear next to him.

"I mean … I … It's not that big of a deal. I guess I wasn't paying attention or—No, that's not what I wanted to say—Crap."

He sighed and ran a hand over his head.

"It's … okay," she said slowly, her trembling gradually ceasing as she continued to turn to the chapter of logarithms. "We'll review logs before going on to your next lesson."

Rocco felt dread throughout his body. Not that his appearance weren't enough, but his aggressive personality was much too intimidating for a shy girl like Jenna. He'd have to learn to calm down while around her and not act so frightening. She wasn't like Kat, who could stand up to a full-grown lion and scare it away. Jenna was a kitten, gentle and helpless. She needed to be protected, not protective.

"Sounds good," Rocco said, his tone softer and friendlier. "I think a review would be good for me."

He could feel the tranquil state Jenna had entered when his words became softer and gentler. She smiled widely, a beautiful wide smile that showed her set of pearly white teeth. Up close, he noticed the sprinkle of pale freckles over the bridge of her dainty nose.

The weird, fluttering, affectionate feeling had returned and Rocco immediately looked away, his hands slowly clenching into fists to stop the sensation erupting in his stomach. He wanted the feeling to stop. Hadn't he just decided that he wasn't going to feel this way for Jenna? Why wasn't his body listening to him?

"Well, maybe we should begin. Could you get out your notebooks so we could review the problems?" Jenna asked. She'd _asked_ him to do it, not suggested, not commanded, _asked_.

There was no way Rocco was going to let this innocent girl be taken by the claws of Octavian Helms for his own personal needs.

Without saying anything, Rocco dug into his practically empty black backpack and pulled out his math notebook. Jenna pulled out her notebook out of her tote as well, to review the notes she'd written.

They spent half of their time reviewing logarithms, and not enough on Mrs. Petrov's new math lesson. When the bell rang to signify the end of lunch, Rocco groaned and ran his hands over the black knit cap secured over his messy black hair.

"I'm not going to be able to pass eleventh grade math. I might as well be held back next year," he grumbled.

"No … no," Jenna said, shaking her head and placing a hand on his arm. She was so warm, he realized, and the touch of her skin against his was so comforting. "I guess lunchtime isn't enough time to tutor you," she said. "Perhaps we could get together outside of school. Would you like to meet at a café, or maybe even at one of our houses?"

Rocco really liked the idea of getting together outside of school. It would cut into his time with his friends and the Cathedral, but his grade was at stake. He needed to pass math so he could play sports and earn his parents pride. His friends understood how vital it was for Rocco to earn his parents' pride, so they'd understood if he'd have to increase his tutoring time with Jenna.

He thought about what his parents would do if a human girl like Jenna walked into their home. They'd probably think Rocco had brought them a treat, and the idea made him shudder. Tutoring at his house was definitely out of the question.

"How about your place?" Rocco suggested. "Cafés are too crowded and my house is a drag. I'll need a quiet place to study, anyway."

Jenna blushed at the suggestion of her house, but she agreed and nodded.

They gathered their things, Rocco putting the books away, and walked towards the doors of the library, filing out with the other students who'd spent their lunch time there. Dressed in a tight-fitting black shirt that was printed with a heavy metal band logo, dark torn skinny jeans with safety pins and patches adorning them, and an array of bullet and studded belts around his waist, Rocco and Jenna looked quite outrageous together. Rocco wasn't used to being joined with girls dressed in light colors. He figured the same could not be said with Jenna, however, as her best friend, Paige, was a goth just like him.

"So, when should we plan meeting at your place?" Rocco started.

"Today after school? I really don't mind it at all. My parents won't be home until later this evening, though," she added. Relief washed over Rocco. He didn't want to meet Jenna's parents, at least not yet. Or ever, really. Her parents wouldn't approve of him anyway, and he was tired of not being approved of.

"That's fine," Rocco said. "The less people, the better." Jenna arched an eyebrow, and Rocco immediately knew that what he'd said had been a mistake. "I … I mean … Okay, I didn't mean it _that_ way. I just thought that, the less people, the better because it's quieter and we're alone and—No wait … not like _that_—Damn it, I'm doing it again. I'm shutting up, now."

To his surprise, Jenna burst into giggles. They were cute and melodic, and Rocco was also surprised at how much he'd liked her giggles.

"It's alright, Rocco," she said as her giggling subsided. "I understand. A quiet environment is what you want to study, and a quiet environment you'll get, don't worry. Although, I hope you're okay with dogs, though, because Fresia loves new people."


	8. Study Date

**O8. **_Study Date_

* * *

Rocco wasn't sure whether he should wait for Jenna by her locker, but he thought that might look too weird. The two weren't a couple, and he didn't want Jenna to think he was into her, despite the annoying, reluctant fact that he actually was. Instead, after school let out, he waited outside of the school building, leaning against the beige stucco wall, his arms folded over his chest. When his trio of friends walked out of the building in the sea of students, they noticed him and stared at him strangely.

"What are you doing here?" Kat questioned, arching an eyebrow. "We normally meet at your locker, but you weren't there."

"Did your tutoring go well?" asked Tripp.

"Uh … I guess." Rocco shrugged. "We're actually meeting at her place for extra tutoring."

Kat and Tripp widened their eyes. Claude grinned widely.

"Ah! I _knew_ you were into her. Even though she is a human, she is pretty cute," Claude said.

"But she's _human_!" Kat exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. "How could you be _remotely_ attracted to a _human_?"

Claude rolled his eyes, and Rocco narrowed his eyebrows. "You act as if you've never fallen for a human yourself, Kat," Claude said.

"I _haven't_. I've only been after them for their blood," she said matter-of-factly.

"Can you guys stop assuming I'm into her? I'm _not_. She's my damn tutor for crying out loud." Suddenly he spotted her blonde head emerging from the crowds, flanked by Paige and a boy who towered over her. "You guys leave now. I'm leaving with Jenna."

"Do you plan on heading to the Cathedral later tonight?" asked Claude.

"Stick to your studies for a while, Rocco," Tripp advised. Claude shot him a sour look. "He needs it, and it's poor of you to enable his partying when he should be raising his grades."

"We're enabling his fun," Claude sniffed.

"Whatever!" Rocco growled. "Just go!"

Claude and Tripp left, but Kat lingered behind, staring at Jenna long before shifting her suspicious gaze to Rocco.

"You better hope you're not falling for that girl. Falling for a human won't gain you any brownie points from your parents," Kat said. Rocco glared at her.

"I'm _not_ into her," he snapped.

"And it won't gain any brownie points from us, either. She's not our kind, not our type, and you mingling with her won't do you any good. Be wary, Rocco, and watch out." With a final glare from the sole female of Rocco's clique, she spun on her chunky combat heel and gracefully followed Claude and Tripp to the parking lot. As much as Rocco cared for Kat as a sister, she did tend to get overdramatic and nag a bit, as if she were his mother rather than friend.

Jenna appeared before him, her friends still at her side. Paige was dressed in black jeans with holes in the knees and a black skull shirt with a hazardously torn neckline. Rocco wondered how two girls like Paige and Jenna, who contrasted so tremendously in style, ever came to be friends.

The boy on Jenna's other side wore a firm expression, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans while his torso was drenched in plain dark t-shirt. His dirty blonde hair fell loosely to the nape of his neck and his almond-shaped brown eyes were narrowed at Rocco, almost as if he disapproved of him. Rocco's blood curdled.

"Here you are," Jenna beamed, her angelic face sporting a bright smile. "It's probably rude of me to say, but I assumed you'd come by my locker, and when you didn't, I was afraid our study date would be canceled."

Rocco mentally cursed himself for not deciding to wait by her locker after all. It was what she'd wanted, and he'd taken a completely different approach.

_I'm such an idiot,_ he scolded to himself.

"I'm sorry," he said, glancing away.

"It's alright. Anyway, this is Paige Thorne and Dimitri Arch, my two best friends," Jenna said. "This is Rocco, guys."

"We've met," Paige chimed, eyeing Rocco with a smirk. Jenna cocked her head in puzzlement. "Will I be seeing you at the Cathedral any time soon?"

Rocco smirked in return and briefly side-glanced at Jenna. "Maybe not. I do have some studying to do." He noticed Jenna's fair cheeks flush and immediately felt the warm feeling inside again.

"Well, I guess I'll catch you later, then," Jenna said to her friends, bidding them farewell.

"Take care, Jenny," Dimitri mumbled, eyeing her longingly with what Rocco seemed to think was affection. He narrowed his eyes at her best friend as he departed with Paige, his gaze still on her. Dimitri's eyes finally parted from Jenna's face, shifting his gaze to Rocco, catching his cold stare. Dimitri instantly glared back, and Rocco knew he wouldn't like the boy.

"Do you drive to school?" Jenna asked as her friends left the couple. Her voice snapped him out of his murderous glare at the pest and brought his attention back to her.

"Uh … no. I carpool with my friends," he replied.

"Oh, well then, I guess it's a good thing that I do drive," Jenna said, giggling shyly. "I hope you don't mind it."

"Mind what?" Rocco automatically blurted. He wasn't sure why Jenna always seemed to apologize for anything she said, as if she were afraid that everything single comment she made would offend him. "You driving? Why the hell would I?"

Jenna blushed bright red and looked away. "Sorry," she squeaked, and by the tone of her voice, Rocco knew he'd startled her again with his defiant tone and intimidating structure. He sighed and parted from the building, approaching her side.

"Should we get going then?" he asked gently but awkwardly. Jenna looked up at him and smiled shyly.

* * *

Rocco was surprised at how nice a house Jenna had. It was a small manor with French doors and tall white windows. He shouldn't have been too surprised, though; Jenna dressed in light colors and of expensive designs. Her house should have matched that.

She led him on a brief tour of her home. Each room sparkled with white. With him dressed in his black clothes, he felt extremely out of place. He felt dirty, like an old black dog. He figured Jenna would probably feel the same in his own small manor, the dark gothic décor making her bright figure appearing a shy white puppy.

They walked up the white marble staircase to Jenna's room. Framed photos and portraits of her and her family were hung on the walls along the staircase and hallway. She lived with both of her parents, and she had an older sister that looked a lot like her. Rocco compared this to the pictures hanging in his house. They were all painted portraits, but there weren't even a lot of them. His parents weren't too fond of family portraits, considering they weren't exactly proud of how Rocco was born.

Jenna's room was white and baby blue. Sunlight poured into a large window, framed by sheer white drapes. Her floors were carpeted with white shag and her walls hung black and white pictures of baby animals. On one side of the room was a full-sized bed donned in baby blue, and on the opposite side was a walk-in closet. A desk and bookshelf were placed against the wall opposite to the window.

She placed her bag on her bed and turned to Rocco, smiling shyly.

"You can make yourself comfortable so we can get started," she suggested.

Rocco looked around. He felt as if he were to sit down he would break something. Everything in Jenna's room looked so delicate and fragile.

"Um, sure …" he said and stuffed his hands in his pockets, shuffling to one side of the room, to another, finally deciding to sit down on her bed.

"So," Jenna started, pulling out books from her tote bag next to Rocco, "I guess we can continue where we left off in the library."

"Alright," Rocco agreed, dropping his backpack and reaching for his notebooks. "Where did we leave off again?"

Jenna thumbed through a couple of pages before stopping at her designated one. "Conics, I believe," she said. She looked up at him, a pencil ready in her hand. "Ready to continue?"

Rocco chuckled and shrugged. "I guess."

He hadn't planned on staying for hours, but that's what ended up happening. He struggled with conics, but with Jenna there with him, he slowly began to understand and he ended up finishing Mrs. Petrov's homework.

"You did it," she beamed, clapping her hands. Rocco grinned.

"Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?" he said. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"You just needed a little help. Anyone is capable of doing anything; it's that little push that they need," she said.

"You're too kind," Rocco mumbled. "I'm really not smart at all. I know it. I mean, I'm so dumb that I need a tutor to help me pass my math class. I'd say that's pretty sad."

Jenna shook her head and hesitantly placed a hand over his. Rocco widened his eyes slightly and his breath caught in his throat. Her hands were extraordinarily warm, even for a human. Her skin was soft and so perfect. And, surprisingly, he didn't want her to withdraw her hand.

"You aren't dumb. You're smart, Rocco."

"You're just saying that," he grumbled.

"I'm not," she said firmly, looking into his eyes. Suddenly, he realized their faces were inches apart. It was the strong scent of her blood that alerted her close proximity and his stomach growled embarrassingly. He needed a drink. Her blood was so mouthwatering. No wonder Octavian wanted her for himself.

Jenna arched an eyebrow when she heard his stomach grumble. She giggled and backed away, blushing when she realized how close they had been. Rocco blushed in return and looked away, his eyebrows narrowing stubbornly.

"Sorry," he grumbled.

"It's fine. Would you like something to eat?" she offered. Rocco stood and began closing his notebooks, stuffing them in his backpack.

"Actually, I should get going," he said. "My parents will expect me home."

"Oh," Jenna said shyly, looking down. "Well, I'm glad we did this extra tutoring. I'm sure it really helped you."

"It did," Rocco assured. "I'm glad to have gotten my homework done. I can't thank you enough. Now I can hit the club tonight." He chuckled at the last bit, half joking, half not.

Jenna smiled shyly briefly before turning serious. Her expression still screamed shyness, but also curiosity, and fear of walking into unknown territory. Rocco pretended not to notice the mingled expression until she spoke.

"About the club," she started, her thumbs fiddling with each other. "Last night, I saw you outside that goth club with a group of people. You looked like you were fighting someone and you gave me a look that—well, I was just wondering what happened that night?"

Dread filled Rocco's body. Now he had to come up with a lie, and he felt that lying particularly to Jenna was wrong. Technically, lying was wrong, but he'd never had a problem with it. Half of his life was a lie anyway, so it was practically in his blood. But now he had to come up with a story that would protect his and the rest of the vampires' true identity.

"He's just some jerk I know. He used to date Kat and broke her heart. He likes to pick on us," said Rocco, careful to leave out any vampirism facts.

Jenna's eyebrows rose to her hairline, her bright green eyes widening with worry.

"He sounds like a real bully," she said. "Picking a fight with him wouldn't solve anything, though. I understand that you're upset for Kat, but this guy does sound like a jerk. You should stay away from him."

Rocco struggled to hide the grin on his face when he heard Jenna speak sourly towards Octavian. Though he was never worried that Jenna would fall for him (since he knew Octavian wouldn't have cared whether she liked him or not; he just wanted her for his own pleasure and her blood), it was that Octavian would go through any measure just to snatch her away, whether it be against her will or not. But right now, Jenna's comments toward him were making Rocco feel a whole lot better.

"Believe me, we try," Rocco said. "He always turns up wherever we are. He just always happens to be around us. It's really annoying."

Jenna pressed her lips together and sighed, contemplating on a solution for him. But suddenly her expression twisted with puzzlement and curiosity again, and then he saw her fear.

"The man you were fighting, he was Kat's boyfriend?" she questioned. Rocco nodded. He narrowed his eyebrows as he watched her shudder. "He looked at me with a strange look. It was a warning look, like yours was, but it sent chills down my spine. I felt … _exposed_ to him, like he was looking through me. That stare was so penetrating, I—" She shuddered and briefly closed her eyes before revealing her bright emerald orbs to him again. "It was so odd and uncomforting."

Rocco's blood curdled with utter anger. He was disgusted at Octavian more than he ever had. He'd defiled Jenna without so much as _speaking_ to her. He was hurt that Jenna felt so uncomfortable from the lustful stare of the Helms brat. If Rocco ran into Octavian tonight, he was going to make sure he'd _never_ get anywhere around Jenna ever again. He'd never see her, and she'd be safe from his lecherous clutches. He would protect Jenna at whatever cost, no matter what anybody thought.


	9. Romeo and Juliet

**O9. **_Romeo and Juliet_

* * *

A couple weeks had passed since Rocco had his first tutoring session at Jenna's home. The following days were the same. They would meet at lunch in the library, and whatever they didn't finish they would continue after school at Jenna's house. The friendship between them grew stronger, and Rocco's feelings for her grew along with it. The more time he spent with Jenna, the happier he was, but that also meant that he was spending less time with his friends. But his grades were rising, and soon enough, he was passing most of his classes with C minuses. Mrs. Petrov was pleased, and she was happy to let him back into sports. His friends were ready to hang out with him during lunch times, but Rocco wasn't ready to part ways with Jenna.

"I must say, Rocco," Mrs. Petrov said as she handed back Rocco his test. A large red C was marked on his paper. "Jenna's tutoring has really helped you. Now that you're passing, I can talk to Coach Gruel about letting you play extracurricular sports again. I'm proud of you." She smiled at him before continuing on her way. Kat, filing her long nails and chewing her trademark bubblegum, nonchalantly glanced over at his paper. She arched an eyebrow at him.

"Guess you don't need the human anymore," she scoffed softly. Rocco's eyebrows narrowed. He should have been happy that he was passing his class and that he was able to play sports again. After all, this was what he wanted; something for his parents to be proud of. But instead of smiling, he was frowning, thinking that he'd no longer need Jenna anymore. They'd go back to their old lives, forgetting each other and moving on. Rocco wasn't happy about that.

"Now you can start eating lunch with us again," Tripp said upliftingly. Rocco forced a smile.

"Yeah," he said, struggling to put enthusiasm into his tone, but failing.

"Hey, what gives? You get to hang out with your best friends during lunch and play sports again. Why aren't you excited?" Kat snapped.

"It's nothing," Rocco said quickly, shaking his head. "I've got a lot on my mind."

"Now that Rocco's smart now," teased Tripp. Kat snickered and Rocco glared at the both of them, rolling his eyes.

"You guys are so stupid," he snarled and, when the bell rang to let out class, Rocco stuffed his things in his backpack and bolted out of the door, not bothering to wait for his friends. He could hear their bewildered comments about his leaving so quickly and not waiting for them, but he didn't care. He just wanted to see Jenna.

He waited by her locker. Rocco couldn't remember what Jenna had that period, and he waited impatiently for her. He wanted to rendezvous with her after school again. He probably wouldn't meet her for lunch, much to his despair, since his friends were eager to eat with him again, so he figured they could meet at her house like old times.

Rocco spotted her blonde head amongst the crowded halls and his heart raced. She spotted him immediately, as Rocco wasn't exactly easy to hide. His brawny figure was much bigger than the average teenage boy.

Her bright green eyes lit up and she smiled. She was flanked by Dimitri, and, once again, he was giving Rocco a stern expression. If Dimitri didn't approve of Rocco's metal band t-shirts, torn skinny jeans, and combat boots, then he had no business hanging around Paige Thorne either.

"Rocco," she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to tell you that I'm passing math now, and most of my other classes as well," he said. Jenna smiled widely.

"Oh! That's great!" she exclaimed. Her arms flung around his neck and she hugged him. Rocco's eyes widened with surprise and, before it even registered in his mind, his large arms were wrapping themselves around her miniscule waist. He glanced at Dimitri, who was taken aback by the entire scenario, and Rocco arched an eyebrow at him, suppressing a smirk of triumph.

Jenna withdrew herself from Rocco and blushed, clearing her throat. "I'm happy for you. Now you can play sports again." Rocco noticed Dimitri's eyebrows narrow further.

"Yeah," Rocco said. "And, actually, this wasn't all I wanted to talk to you about, but I was kind of hoping that I could talk to you more privately." Rocco shot Jenna's friend a look, and this time, Dimitri glared. Jenna glanced back behind her.

"Oh, um … well, Dimitri can keep a secret," she promised, but she read the dread that spread across Rocco's face when she suggested he stay. Jenna looked back at Dimitri, and he rolled his eyes, continuing to glare at Rocco.

"Fine. I'll see you at lunch, Jenny," he said and took off, blending in with the hordes of students.

"So, what did you want to tell me?" Jenna asked curiously.

"Since I'm passing my classes now, my friends suspect that I won't need you as a tutor anymore, meaning they don't expect me to see you during lunch time, so I can eat with them," Rocco began. So far her face was understanding as she nodded. "But, well, the thing is …" He gulped. He didn't know how else to say it other than just coming out with it. "Well, I still want to hang out with you, that's the thing, but Claude and Kat and Tripp, they don't think I should. At least now that I don't need you anymore, they don't see any point to it. But I like being with you, and I'm not ready to stop hanging out with you."

There. He'd said it. He sighed and nervously scratched the back of his head, which was absent of his trademark knit cap. His untamable black hair stuck out messily in all sorts of directions, exposing his gaged ears. Jenna stared at him, speechless. Had he said too much? It's not as if he'd confessed to the affectionate feelings he'd finally admitted within himself, but perhaps even what he'd said then was too much for her.

But he suddenly thought otherwise when Jenna's shocked face turned into a smile.

"I know what you mean," she said finally. "Dim doesn't like me being around someone like you, and when I ask what he means by that, he never gives me a straight answer. He's not the only one, though. Plenty of my other friends think it's strange that I'm around you, even if was only for tutoring. The only one who isn't bothered by our spending time together is Paige, but this seems to be obvious.

"But I don't want to stop hanging out with you either. I feel a special friendship with you, Rocco, and I don't want to give that up."

Rocco arched his eyebrows. "You don't?"

"Of course not," she said with a shy smile. "You're special, and we've bonded greatly over the course of these two weeks of tutoring."

"I feel the same," Rocco agreed. "And who cares what our friends think? We have every right to hang out with each other whenever we want to. Just because we're polar opposites doesn't mean we can't be friends. Look at you and Paige, after all."

Jenna giggled. "You're right. We shouldn't let what others say affect our friendship. Although," She bit her bottom lip and looked around, as if to check if anybody were eavesdropping, "I'd hate to disappoint my friends by doing something they didn't think was good for me. After all, they're just looking out for me."

"But remember what we just said? We don't care about what they think. We know what's right for us, right? But, if you want, maybe we could just hang out in secret, to keep you from disappointing your friends," Rocco suggested. Jenna pressed her lips together and contemplated her decision. Rocco's stomach churned in anticipation. What if she opted to not hang out with him anymore? What if she dismissed everything she'd just said and decided to end their friendship right there at her locker?

The school bell for the period to start screeched to life, alerting Jenna with a jolt.

"I have to get to class!" she exclaimed. Rocco's face fell. She wouldn't want to continue being friends with him. Her other scholarly friends mattered more, which made sense, since they were more her type than he was.

She noticed his fallen expression and relaxed a little. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm, smiling up at him.

"We're having fettuccini alfredo at my house tonight," Jenna said. "You should come after school. Nobody has to know," she added. Rocco grinned.

"Who knew Jenna Summers could be so rebellious?" teased Rocco. Jenna's eyes widened innocently.

"Rebellious? Me? I wouldn't have the nerve," she joked and turned on her heel, rushing to class, but not before smiling and waving goodbye one last time.


	10. Villain's Lust

**1O. **_Villain's Lust_

* * *

"It's good to have you back, Rocco," Coach Gruel boomed, clapping a thick hand on Rocco's shoulder. "The team missed your agility and strength."

Rocco smiled at his coach, scratching the back of his head. He was donned in a football uniform, the glossy shirt and shorts drenched in sweat from his hard work. His cleats crushed the crunchy grass underneath as he and his teacher walked back to the locker rooms.

"It's good to be back, Coach," Rocco admitted.

"I'm glad to hear you're passing your classes now," Coach Gruel continued. "I will be seeing you at practice after school from now on, won't I?"

"Oh yes," Rocco said eagerly as he nodded his head. The coach beamed.

"Atta boy. Now hit the showers!"

Rocco chuckled and jogged into the boys' locker room. He was greeted by his fellow football players, saying how good it was that he was back, that the team really needed him. Rocco tried not to look too excited, but he did beam at them as he basked in their praise.

He grabbed for his towel hanging at his station and walked towards the showers. Suddenly, his big figure was met with the skinny athletic body of Dimitri. Rocco had actually forgotten that Dimitri also played football for the school's team while he was suspended from sports. He felt as if he'd been gone for so long that he'd been disconnected from his teammates, but it was worth the while spending with Jenna.

Dimitri was nowhere near equal in height with Rocco, but he almost met eye-for-eye with him. He was wrapped in nothing but a towel around his waist, and his dark straw-colored hair was soaked and stuck to his forehead. His brown eyes were narrowed and his lips pursed as he folded his arms over his chest.

"So, Jenna's tutoring really worked," Dimitri said for the first time to him. Rocco had always known who Dimitri was, but he'd never talked to him. He didn't talk to everybody on his team, just a select few, since most of them were pure jocks and he was not. He was good at sports, so he thought he'd put his talents to good use. Plus, Coach Gruel idolized Rocco for his incredible dexterity.

Rocco arched an eyebrow at him. "You doubted her? Some friend."

Dimitri glared and appeared taken aback. Rocco couldn't help but smirk.

"I did not doubt her!" Dimitri shot defensively. "I'm her _best_ friend."

"_One_ of them," Rocco reminded, referring to Paige. "And besides, do we really have to discuss Jenna right now? Especially while you're in a towel?"

Dimitri's cheeks flushed before rolling his eyes. He pushed passed Rocco and returned to his stall, gathering his clothes. Rocco couldn't help but wonder whether Dimitri really felt more than friendship with Jenna, just like he did, and the thought angered him. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew his blood was curdling with jealousy whenever he saw Dimitri.

He shook his head and continued to the showers, pulling off his shirt in his walk and slapping it over his shoulder, the towel draped over his arm.

* * *

The wails of Nightwish blasted through the speakers of the Cathedral, its pounding music traveling down the block. Rocco and his friends took their drinks to a side room of the club, wanting to get away from the moshing humans. There was a small sitting area with black spider-webbed loveseats, a coffee table with a lit candelabra, and an oil wall-hanging of the Virgin Mary.

"I can't believe they think that!" Tripp exclaimed. "You have every right to be as much vampire as the rest of your family."

"Makes me want to suck the blood of your grandmother myself," snarled Kat with a deadpan expression, taking a sip from her goblet of blood.

"You're telling me. How could they not believe that I'm not responsible enough? I'll tell you one thing—my parents were _furious_ when Grandmother wouldn't give me a blood vial," Claude explained.

"They're just going to waste," growled Rocco, shaking his head. "It's so unfair."

Claude downed the rest of his drink and slammed it on the table, hunching over with a glare set on his face.

"There _has_ to be a way to get those vials. Alexander's so close to Grandmother, she'd probably hand them over to him willy-nilly," Claude sneered.

"So get Alexander to get the vials from your grandmother," Tripp said, "since it's so easy."

"It's not," Claude argued. "Alexander is in cahoots with Grandmother. He doesn't think I should become a full vampire either. They're both so stupid." He clenched his fists tightly. "To think there's actually a chance that all four of us could become full vampires and stop the tormenting."

Rocco met glances with his three friends and thought about becoming a full vampire, something not only he has wanted his entire life, but his parents as well. Finally they'd be proud of him. They'd love him like he wanted them too. He wouldn't have to go to school and worry about passing the eleventh grade. Everything would be perfect.

Well, _almost_ perfect.

Ever since Rocco had met Jenna, he'd felt a reason to go to school. He actually _wanted_ to go to school, even though he didn't have any classes with her. But he would see her at her locker or passing her table at lunch or even after school in front of the building. If Rocco had become a full vampire, he'd never be able to see Jenna again, not unless she came to the Cathedral at midnight, but that was highly unlikely. The Cathedral wasn't a place for girls like Jennalee. Her pureness would be swallowed up whole by the raging moshing, blaring metal music, and gothic décor.

"There's _got_ to be a way," Tripp said, cutting Rocco from his thoughts. "We just have to think about it." Claude and Kat nodded in agreement, and Rocco nodded along with them, just to appear that he was paying attention when really his thoughts were elsewhere. Whenever Jenna came to mind, his thoughts seemed to take a long journey away from reality.

"You poor half-vamps," sighed Octavian from the archway. The four sat up, alarmed at his sudden appearance. Octavian smirked smugly, as he always did, his elbow perched on the frame of the archway, a drink in his other hand. He pierced all four of them with his dark amber eyes. "Upset that you can't be a _real _vampire like me?" His eyes glistened jovially as they landed on Kat. "I can help you with that."

Kat's nonchalant gaze turned livid as her eyes narrowed to slits. "Get out of here, you loser." Octavian laughed, much to her infuriation.

"Sorry, Kitty Kat, but I'm not the loser here; you four are." He snickered as he drank from his goblet. His perfect body was dressed sexily in a pair of pinstriped designer skinny jeans that sagged slightly from his waist, being held in place by numerous spiked belts, a shimmering black unbuttoned waistcoat, and his trademark Creepers. His white wrists were adorned in numerous studded and spiked bracelets, and a silver lock hung around his neck on a thick chain. His strong jaw was aligned with some sexy stubble and his black hair swept just above his eyes.

"So, Rocco," Octavian piped, nodding his chin in his direction. "How's my little human pet?"

Rocco glared. He especially knew who he was referring to, and it sickened Rocco to think that he was still into her, even though it'd been weeks since Jenna had driven by the Cathedral that night.

"Why do you care?" snapped Kat.

"Ooh, jealous are we?" teased Octavian with a wiggle in his brow. "I figured since you guys are human as well, you'd watch over her at school, or whatever. You guys _do_ go to that pitiful place of learning, don't you?"

"She's not interested, Helms," Rocco snapped. "She saw you and didn't want to look back." Octavian frowned momentarily before he came up with another clever comeback.

"Playing hard to get, isn't she? I love the feisty ones. Gives me a challenge." He grinned.

"She's not _playing hard to get_, you moron," Rocco sneered. "She's _repulsed_ by you. _Scared_. She said you gave her a tantalizing look that pretty much scarred her."

"My little pet is _afraid_ of me, now?" Octavian asked innocently. His grin suddenly turned twisted. "She'll have nothing to fear once she gets into my coffin."

"Helms!" Kat and Tripp cried in unison. Rocco had had enough. He stood immediately and, within seconds, was inches before Octavian's face. He felt his muscles pulsing in his arms as his fists tightened at his side.

"Rocco," Claude called. "Don't even hold back. That bastard deserves it."

"Oh, do I?" chuckled Octavian, glancing back at Claude. His gaze returned to Rocco's glaring ones. Octavian's amber orbs suddenly flashed a menacingly ruby red as his lips pulled back, exposing his large fangs. "To taste the delectable blood that pumps through that body of hers has been all I've thought about." He ran his tongue over his lips. Rocco grabbed hold of the open flaps of his waistcoat.

_"Stay away from her,"_ he hissed. Octavian leaned in, his eyes narrowing.

"Make me," he whispered.

Rocco pushed him back against the wall, and his friends stood up, alarmed, but they encouraged Rocco to hit him. Rocco's lips pulled back into a sneer, exposing his own fangs as his eyes flashed with malice as well.

"You want her, don't you?" chuckled Octavian deeply. Rocco's gut turned and he was slightly taken aback. Octavian laughed louder. "You want her _so bad_. In what way do you want her? Just for the sex—or do you want her blood too?"

"Shut up!" Rocco shouted. He threw a punch at Octavian, who widened his eyes and dodged his fist just in time. He glared at him.

"Well I want her for both reasons, and I'm going to get them. I _always_ get what I want." Octavian pressed his hands against Rocco's chest and forcefully pushed him back. Rocco stumbled and almost fell, but he caught himself just in time. "No one like you is going to stop me from getting what I want. Not a pathetic little half-vampire. I'm going to take her, defile that pure white body, and then puncture her neck to hear her moan. And _then_ I'll rip her throat open and drink her blood." He smirked when he saw the horrified expression on Rocco's face. He hadn't meant to expose his emotions, but they leaked through and now he was open to the Helms brat.

"Too bad I don't share my girls, otherwise I'd let you in on our party," Octavian said with a shrug. "That little blonde girl is _mine_. You can try whatever you want, but I'm going to get her. You shouldn't bother protecting her, because you'll just beat yourself up for not being good enough to stop me. But hey—I guess I'll be granting you a favor. I'll be taking her out of your life, so you don't have to worry about her for anything anymore."

Rocco was too horrified to even punch Octavian back. He was stunned by his evil plot to steal Jenna and drink her blood. He didn't want to imagine Octavian with her, but he did anyway. The mental, scarring images burned inside and he couldn't get rid of them. He saw Jenna, helpless and crying while Octavian tortured her in his own pleasing way. He saw Octavian biting into her, and then ripping her throat open so that he could guzzle the rest of her blood faster.

His heart began to race. Octavian gave the quartet one last smirk before tossing his empty goblet at their feet and strutting out to grind against some naïve young woman.

"He's such bastard," Claude snarled. Kat kicked the goblet away from her with her combat boot and turned to Rocco.

"That's why you shouldn't have gotten attached, Rocco," she said, and it was the last thing Rocco wanted to hear. He'd been threatened by Octavian regarding Jenna's life.

"She's right," Tripp agreed sadly. "Jenna isn't good for you. She's our prey—Octavian's prey. That's the way it is."

His friends weren't helping. For once, the only people who could ever understand him didn't understand him. The people he found solace in weren't making him feel better. And it was because he was in love with someone he shouldn't be.

He'd never felt more alone in his life, and he knew, from here on out, that it was his mission to protect Jenna from the nasty clutches of Octavian Helms, and he was on his own. There'd be no Claude, Kat, or Tripp flanking his side. It was just Rocco.


	11. Beautiful Contrast

**11. **_Beautiful Contrast_

* * *

With Rocco's football practice every day after school, it was a tad difficult making sure Jenna was safe. Not that football practice was more of a priority than she was, and not that he needed the practice either, but he needed to attend or Coach Gruel would kick him off of the team. Luckily for Rocco, though, he sought out an easy solution to keep his eye on Jenna while he was at practice. Since one of Jenna's best friends was on the team too, he suggested she stick around to support the both of them. She could do her homework outside on the grass near the field, admiring the nice, cool weather. Jenna agreed eagerly and even brought along Paige to his practices.

After practice was over, Rocco usually left to Jenna's house, again to keep an eye on her, but he also wanted to spend time with her, since he couldn't any other time. During lunch, at night, and over the weekends he spent time with his clique. Jenna always welcomed Rocco, for she wanted to spend time with him as well, since she was always with her own friends too. The more time Rocco spent with Jenna after school, the more his friends were getting annoyed. So he stopped telling them where he'd be. Eventually, he started becoming distant from his friends.

"You never hang out with us anymore," Tripp pouted, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for Rocco to retrieve his books from his locker. Tripp's small frame was drenched in slimming black slacks, an ivory button-down long-sleeve shirt, and a pair of Creepers. Black suspenders hung from his waist and a black tie was secured tightly around his neck. His thick rectangular glasses were perched near the tip of his nose as he gazed at his close friend accusingly.

"That's not true," Rocco retorted, narrowing his dark eyes. His brawny figure was compressed in a black hooded sweatshirt with the band Tool's logo across the chest, ripped jeans, and a pair of old Converse. His unruly black hair was topped with a black knit cap, keeping his hair under control, and his ears sported skull plugs. The numerous studded belts and chains that hung from his waist jingled in his movement.

Tripp narrowed his own eyebrows, reaching for his iPod in the pocket of his slacks. "Are you kidding? You're never available after school, and you hardly come to Claude's or my house anymore. You're rarely at the Cathedral, but you always leave early."

"Helms practically lives there and I hate seeing him. He's repulsive and scum," Rocco spat.

"Well, duh. We all hate Helms, but we go to the club anyway," Tripp said with an eye roll. "The trick is to ignore him."

Rocco was reminded of Jenna's words of advice when dealing with Octavian, and his mind drifted elsewhere for a brief moment while Tripp continued to rant about Rocco's lack of appearance amongst his group.

_"Hello?"_

Rocco blinked and shook his head. "What?"

Tripp rolled his eyes. "It's because of her, isn't it? That's why you're acting all spacey. You're different, and nobody likes it," Tripp snapped.

"What the hell are you talking about?" But Rocco knew exactly what Tripp was talking about.

"Are you that stupid? Do I need to spell things out for you? I wish you'd stop lying to us about where you're going to be. You don't spend five hours at football practice—we know that right after practice you hang out with Jenna." Rocco was silent. Tripp's eyes narrowed even further. "If this is about what Octavian said about wanting her, you need to forget about it. No—you need to forget about _her_. She was a tutor, that's it. She's not supposed to be your love interest, Rocco. Are you forgetting that it is her very type that _we_ feed on?" This last bit was said in a whisper so passers-by wouldn't pick up on their conversation.

"But this time, we actually _know_ the person he's going to feed on. Isn't that the least bit disturbing?" Rocco retorted.

"It's a little awkward, but we'll get over it. Now you need to too."

"I can't just _let_ Octavian get what he wants. Do you forget what he did to Kat?" Rocco snarled.

"That's why we're trying to steer clear of him. If you prevent Octavian from getting the girl, you'll be walking right into his path of destruction. You're tough, Rocco, we know it. You can easily take him on, but don't waste your talent for something so measly as a _human_. It's not worth it."

Rocco glared at Tripp. He was his closest friend out of the others, and even _he_ didn't support his affection for Jenna. Rocco didn't know who to trust anymore.

He slammed the door to his locker shut, creating yet another dent into it. Tripp didn't even flinch at the loud bang, but others around them stopped with wide eyes and murmured, frightened at the violence.

"I'm going to be late for class," he sneered at his friend. "What I do is my business now. You guys stay out of it."

"We just want to help you, Rocco," Tripp said sincerely, reaching out for him. "Don't waste your time on her."

"I'm _not_ wasting my time on her! Don't you get it?" he hissed. "You're my friend. You're supposed to understand."

"I'm trying to help you _because_ I'm your friend."

"Well you're doing a lousy job at it," Rocco spat. With that, he spun on his heel and walked down the off-white hallway, pushing past groups of students impatiently, leaving Tripp at his locker. He knew he'd tell Kat and Claude everything that had happened. He wouldn't put it past the two of them to come after Rocco and talk him out of hanging out with Jenna once they were told, too.

Rocco knew what he was doing. He knew the risks and what could possibly happen if Jenna were to ever find out about his other half—the inhuman one. But he didn't care. He didn't lust over her blood like Octavian. Sure it was delectable and irresistible, but he was managing. Jenna was beautiful and smart and funny. She was gentle and caring and, best of all, she liked him too. He wasn't sure if she felt the same affection he did for her, but he couldn't help but think that she did. With each "study date" at her house, they grew closer in friendship and sometimes flirted with each other. He was always welcome for dinner, even though her parents didn't think too fondly of him, Jenna always insisted he stay.

He didn't care if she was supposed to be his prey, or that she wasn't goth or a vampire. He didn't care that she dressed in white and other light colors, or that her face wasn't covered in dark make-up, or that her hair was a natural shimmering pale blonde. Rocco loved who she was—human and all.

The only thing he didn't like was her unsupportive friends, particularly the imbecile Dimitri Arch. Dimitri hated seeing Jenna around Rocco and he knew he did everything he could to make sure she stayed away from him, though he was unsuccessful in most of his attempts. Still, Jenna was extraordinarily loyal to him and sometimes obeyed when he advised her to keep away, though luckily this wasn't all cases. He was grateful that Jenna cared enough for him to actually go against her best friend's ridiculous requests and hang out with him.

By this time, Rocco had learned Jenna's schedule, and the direction he was walking he knew Jenna would come across him. He had English and she had AP physics, a twelfth grade class. He paused in his step, waiting for Jenna's blonde head to come into view.

"Hi, Rocco," chimed a girl flirtatiously. He didn't really know her, but he'd seen her around. She was flanked by a group of other girls, and they were all dressed in gothic clothing, their hair dyed with brightly-colored streaks and their faces done in black make-up.

"Hi," Rocco muttered in return. The group of gothic girls giggled. Rocco received attention like this all of the time, and it sometimes annoyed him, but now it really did since he had feelings for Jenna. These were girls Kat would probably consider for Rocco, even if they were human. She'd assume that it would be easy to turn them into a vampire to match with him, since they were lovers of the undead.

He glanced away from them and vaguely heard the questions they were asking him, in an attempt to flirt with him. He wasn't interested in what they had to say; he only wanted to find Jenna.

"The girls and I were wondering if you'd like to hang out at the Cathedral tonight," the same girl asked. Rocco's eyebrows knitted together as he looked back at her.

"Uh …"

Suddenly, a flash of blonde caught his attention from the corner of his eye and he immediately turned. He found little Jennalee's head bobbing in the crowd, her blonde hair standing out amongst the darker-haired Romanians. He felt a smile spread on his face and caught Jenna's eye. She briefly smiled excitedly in return before she noticed the group of goth girls surrounding him.

Dread flooded his body when he saw Jenna's smile drop. She was getting the wrong idea. He wasn't interested in _them_; only her!

She reluctantly approached him, clutching her physics book tightly to her chest. The goth girls looked at her peculiarly, wondering what a girl like her wanted with Rocco. Her petite figure was dressed in a white baby doll blouse and white-washed skinny jeans, a white lacey long-sleeved shawl draped over her shoulders while her feet were encased in white flats. She contrasted greatly against the mob of goth kids standing before her.

"Hello," she said forcefully, straining a small smile at Rocco and the girls around him.

"Anyway, about the Cathedral," the main goth girl said, turning away from Jenna. "Tonight good?" She batted her fake glittered eyelashes at him and Rocco wanted to snarl at her for being so rude to Jenna. Plus, she was making him appear as if he was actually planning something with her and her group of friends when really he couldn't care less about all of them.

Jenna's eyebrows knitted together and Rocco was surprised to see a hint of jealousy on her face, if that's what it was. He could have been mistaken, but he was hoping that he wasn't.

"Sorry," Rocco said curtly, his eyes glued to Jenna's face affectionately. Jenna's green eyes widened when she noticed him staring at her and blushed fervently. "Tonight's not a good night."

The entire group of girls narrowed their eyes at Jenna, who shied away from everyone. Rocco glared at them all and the scattered away, heading towards their class. He lifted his glare when they were gone, relieved.

"Sorry about that," Rocco said sincerely. "That was really annoying." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I was actually waiting for you."

"You were?" she asked, smiling again. "What for?"

"I was wondering if we could have another _study session_ at your house after football practice," Rocco said slowly. Now that he didn't care about what his friends thought, he would spend as much time with Jenna that he liked, even if that meant continuing not hanging out with his friends at the Cathedral. Who cared about the Cathedral? He would be with Jenna. Plus, this would also help him keep his eye on her and watch out for that bastard, Octavian.

Jenna beamed and blushed, smiling shyly as she nodded. "Yes! I-I mean, sure. That sounds like a good idea," she agreed. Rocco grinned and stuffed a hand in the pocket of his jeans.

"Awesome. So, I guess I'll see you after school," he said. She nodded again as she backed away.

"You will."


	12. Say Yes

**12. **_Say Yes_

* * *

Jenna's bright room was becoming more welcoming than his entire darkened home. Rocco dropped his backpack onto her bed and sat beside it. Jenna followed him, slipping out of her white ballet flats and folding her legs Indian-style while she surfed through her bag, withdrawing her math notes.

"So, you've grown quite accustomed to these study sessions. I remember when you didn't like them at all," Jenna giggled as she flipped through her notebook. Rocco chuckled softly as he opened his own math notebook, ducking his head in slight embarrassment. He wasn't sure if he wanted Jenna to know the only reason he wanted to spend more time tutoring was because he wanted to spend more time with _her_. He wondered if she already figured this out, though.

"Well, I need to keep passing my classes so I can continue playing sports, and the only way I can do that is if you're tutoring me," Rocco replied with a grin. Jenna smiled shyly and ducked her own head, her blonde hair shielding her face from him, but he didn't have to see her face to know she was blushing.

"Let's not go through this _again_," she murmured, and Rocco chuckled again. "So, what has Mrs. Petrov given you for homework this time?"

Truthfully, Rocco didn't want to study. He had other things on his mind that didn't involve any numbers.

But he was too shy and too nervous to express his feelings through his actions, and he didn't want to sound pathetic by trying to explain how he felt about her. So, reluctantly, he explained what Mrs. Petrov's lesson had been and Jenna, as usual, beamed as she recalled the eleventh grade math lessons Mrs. Petrov taught her last year. Rocco was amazed at how bright she was. She'd always been a year ahead in all of her courses, even if she was his age and in his year.

They reviewed Rocco's lesson and he even finished his homework. Even he had to admit that he was getting better at doing his math on his own, but he didn't want this to be an excuse to stop hanging out with Jenna. He wondered if he should try dumbing it down so he could have a reason to stay with her.

No, that was stupid, he thought. He didn't need to have a reason to spend time with her. Just wanting to was good enough, and Jenna thought so too because she wanted to spend time with him purely for the fact that they were friends.

"Will you be staying for dinner again?" Jenna asked with a smile after she'd tucked away her notes back in her bag. They'd been chatting animatedly for about ten minutes already. Rocco loved staying for dinner, even though her parents were more than mildly weirded out that he preferred raw meat rather than cooked. Jenna thought this extremely out of the ordinary as well, but she didn't question him further about it, which he was grateful for. He couldn't exactly explain to her why he liked the raw meat, and the blood that came with it.

"I'd like to," Rocco said with a nod. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you're staying," Jenna continued. "It'll make me feel better."

Rocco's insides jumped excitedly, but his mind buzzed with questions. He knitted his eyebrows together. "What do you mean?"

Jenna blushed. "Oh, it's … well, it's nothing really," she stammered, fumbling with her thumbs. "I just feel more comfortable when you're around. I feel safe. I guess it's because you're so big and strong." She chuckled and Rocco couldn't help but grin.

"Well, I'm glad I make you feel safe," Rocco said gently. "It's better than making you feel uncomfortable."

Jenna chuckled and combed a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, her finger grazing the single diamond stud pierced through her cartilage.

"Yes," she said softly before looking up again, but this time her green eyes darted for the window. "I never really realized how many bats lingered around here," she said suddenly.

Rocco's eyes widened. Was she really talking about bats—perhaps _vampire_ bats? His blood boiled inside. Who was lingering around her home? The sickening thought of Octavian knowing where she lived occurred and he immediately felt like punching something.

"Bats?" he repeated.

"Yeah," she said with a nod. "They fly by my window all the time at night. I can even hear them, and sometimes I see them hanging outside my window. Nobody else notices them, though, but I just don't think they've seen them yet."

Rocco was getting angry. If those bats were actual vampires in their small, flighty creature form, then there was going to be hell to pay.

"How many times have you seen these bats?" Rocco asked firmly. Jenna knitted her eyebrows together, confused.

"Um … I see them all the time. I told you. They appear at night," she explained. She saw the seriousness of his expression. "Rocco, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "Listen; do you remember that guy who stared at you the night you drove past the Cathedral? The one I was fighting with?"

"Of course. How could I forget?"

"Have you seen him lately?"

Jenna was silent briefly, but the moment seemed so long. Rocco's insides shook with fury.

"No, I haven't. Why? Rocco, you're scaring me. You know that man gave me nightmares. Why are you bringing him up?"

So Jenna hadn't seen him, but there was the possibility that he'd always snuck past her gaze, shielding his appearance from her human eyes. He wouldn't put it past Octavian to figure out her lodgings and spy on her. What had he seen? The thought angered Rocco further, and this time he wasn't able to hide it from Jenna. She saw it on his features, his anger. Rocco noticed the fear on her face.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly. He wished he could explain why he was so worried, but he couldn't without telling her about Octavian's vampirism, that he wanted her for her blood. "I'm really sorry."

"I just want to know what's going on," Jenna said softly.

"I shouldn't being worrying you with my affairs," Rocco said. "That's not fair."

Jenna leaned towards him, ghostly traces of fear still lingering over her gentle and sincere face. She placed a hand over his and he had the sudden urge to tighten his fingers around it. It was so little and pale and thin, and her skin was such a comforting warm that his anger actually vanished once her skin made contact with his.

"But I want you to worry me with your affairs. We're friends. That's what they're for." She giggled gently and a small smile broke out on her face. Rocco stared at her. It was obvious why any boy would be attracted to her, but why was he? They were polar opposites, and they were not meant for each other, but Rocco didn't care. He found her light and luminescent aura so captivating. He wanted to devote himself to her. He wanted to hold her for eternity. It drove him crazy worrying about her, wondering if she was safe from Octavian. If only he could spend every waking minute with her, then there wouldn't be a problem. Rocco could fend off Octavian from his fair Jennalee—his Juliet. Rocco wanted to be her Romeo, and hopefully she wanted him to be as well.

"Rocco?"

Her gentle voice sliced through his thoughts and he realized that he'd been staring at her longer than he thought. But instead of wearing a look of confusion, she wore a smile.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, looking away. The tips of her thin fingers grazed underneath his chin and she faced him back to her.

"Don't be," she murmured, her smile growing.

God, he'd never met anyone more beautiful, and it disappointed him that nobody would allow them to be together. Not that he cared—at least not anymore—but he figured his friends would understand. Or, if they didn't, they'd still respect his feelings for a girl like Jenna. The fact that they bluntly told him that they were not meant for each other was hurtful, but Jenna knew how he felt. Her friends didn't support their friendship either. Their pairing was merely for educational purposes, nothing more. They weren't meant to be friends, and they most certainly weren't meant to be lovers.

"Why does your friend, Arch, not support our friendship, yet he tolerates you and Paige?" Rocco wondered aloud. Jenna withdrew her fingers and placed them in her lap. It was then she realized that her hand was still grasped around Rocco's and she reluctantly removed it. Rocco mentally groaned and resisted the urge to pull it back.

"At first he didn't," she said, "but Paige and I grew very close during our preteen years." She chuckled briefly before continuing with her story. "I remember when she first came, she had a dreadful case of the chicken pox, and when she was well enough to come to school, she was teased constantly. I started calling her Pox afterwards, and I was the first person she hadn't sneered at for calling her out for her illness. I guess that's when we started clicking.

"Dimitri didn't really like it; he thought Paige was 'taking me away from him,' which is quite ridiculous if you think about it"—Rocco had inputted his on grunt—"but Paige wasn't having any of his antics, and eventually our separate twosomes became one big threesome. Paige, Dimitri, and I started getting along more and became better friends."

"How long have you known Dimitri?" Rocco pondered.

"Oh goodness, for ages now. We've known each other since we were tots. Our mothers attended the same high school. Dim has always been a big brother figure in my life," she explained. Rocco wanted to snort at this. Couldn't Jenna see that Dimitri wasn't brotherly at all, but rather _attracted_ to her in a lover's way? It was so obvious; perhaps she was in denial and she _did_ realize it.

"So, do you think if we continue to spend time together, Dimitri will lay off and stop telling you to quit hanging around me?" Rocco asked, arching an eyebrow. Jenna blushed and ducked her head.

"I'm sorry about that," she squeaked.

"Don't apologize," Rocco retorted. "Why are _you_ sorry for how that moron is behaving?"

Jenna's eyebrows knitted together, and Rocco knew that she didn't approve of him talking sourly towards her best friend.

"Rocco," she said warningly. "Please … he's my friend. He's just looking out for me."

"He's not doing a good job," Rocco muttered under his breath. Just like how Tripp and Claude and Kat thought they were looking out for Rocco by trying to keep him away from Jenna, and look how that turned out.

"I know his thinking is a little whack. I don't think it's right for him to behave sourly towards you, and I try to tell him to make nice, but Dim has always been as stubborn as a mule. I've grown to get used to it."

"That is a mystery that I will never solve," Rocco scoffed. Jenna narrowed her eyes before bursting in a fit of adorable giggles, shaking her head.

"He will grow accustomed to you. He's got to. I mean, I'm not spending all of this time with you for no reason," she said.

"That's right; because you're my tutor," Rocco teased. Jenna blushed.

"Right."

"But, there is another reason why I like hanging out with you," Rocco continued slowly. He didn't even realize that he was about to confess his feelings. He wasn't planning on it and he briefly panicked within himself, wondering what the heck he was doing.

_I'm confessing my feelings? Why am I confessing? What am I doing?_

_ But I want to. I want her to know. I want to be more than friends—I've always wanted to be more than friends._

_ But why couldn't I have planned this out more thoroughly? I don't need to rush into things!_

_ But it will be easier. Less structured and more flowing and casual. That's how these things work, right? I don't want to sound rehearsed; that's lame. But I do want to sound meaningful and—_

_ Can I just come out with it already? She's staring at me … waiting for me to say something! _

_ I'm such an idiot._

He mentally groaned and took a deep breath. Jenna had cocked her head to the side, her eyebrows arched and, as he saw, she was waiting for him to continue.

_Try sounding suave. Take her hand—Yeah, that's a good idea …_

He did as he instructed himself to do, and Jenna's eyes widened with surprise, but, to his relief, she didn't pull away. Her dainty hand lay in his large one, the soft buds of her fingertips grazing his calloused palm. Around her wrist was a small white chain bracelet; around his were thick leather spike bracelets. Again, their differences, and his attraction for her, continued to baffle him.

"I … well, you see … Ever since we started this whole tutoring thing I … well … aw dammit," he groaned.

_Hello, my name is Rocco, and I am an idiot. I am an idiot. I am an idiot._

"Crap, I can't do this," he whispered.

"What do you want to say?" Jenna asked gently, and Rocco felt her hand squeeze his encouragingly.

_What if she says no? What if she says she doesn't feel the same and I've gotten the wrong vibes from her this entire time? What the hell am I supposed to do now? What do I say?_

"Ilikeyou," he blurted in a slur of words. He'd said them so quickly that they'd become one word altogether, and he cursed himself again for sounding so stupid. He took another deep breath and tried again.

"I like you."

That sounded better, but Jenna sat, stunned. Was this bad or good? Rocco couldn't tell, but her lack of words and smiles left him with an erratic heartbeat.

"You … you do?" she whispered. She was blushing fiercely. Rocco scratched the back of his head nervously and nodded, blushing just as feverishly as she was.

"Yeah," he mumbled.

_Please feel the same way,_ he said mentally. _Please don't reject me. I don't want to feel like a complete loser. I don't want to feel the rejection._

"I … I don't know what … to say …" She looked down at their entwined hands, and Rocco's face felt exceedingly hot.

_Say yes! Say YES! Say that you have the same feelings for me! Please!_

She chuckled slightly, and Rocco felt his heart stop. Was it a good chuckle or a bad chuckle? He stared at her intently and watched as she lifted her head to meet his eyes. She was smiling, and Rocco's heart slowly began to beat again.

_One … two … three … four …_

The heartbeats were slowly and agonizing, just like the time it was taking for her to say something.

Her smile continued to grow, and she giggled again. It was a nervous giggle, a shy giggle, but Rocco knew based on how he'd gotten to know her that the giggle was, indeed, a _good_ giggle.

"I-I feel the same," she whispered. "I always have."

And then Rocco exploded inside. He'd never felt more alive in his half-undead life.


	13. Midnight Duel

**13. **_Midnight Duel_

* * *

Rocco stayed until eleven o'clock that night, hanging with Jenna after she invited him for dinner. He knew her parents were just waiting for the moment he'd leave, and he was sure they'd tell him to be gone too—if it weren't for his size. Both Jenna's parents were timid people. They were sort of small for their ages—her father maybe reached 5'8" and her mother 5'5"—which would explain the size of Jenna's petite frame. Rocco figured they were intimidated by him, and he laughed to himself about it, since he knew the two of them didn't like him either.

"Your parents must be rejoicing that I'm finally leaving," Rocco mentioned when they walked out the front door. Jenna had agreed to walk him outside when it was time for him to leave.

"What? Of course they're not," she said defensively. Rocco arched an eyebrow. Even Jenna could see the distaste on her parents' faces when they saw Rocco in the room. "They're just wondering why your parents don't expect you home any sooner, like usual parents would."

Rocco chuckled light-heartedly. "Well, my parents aren't usual parents," he said.

"Tell me about them," she pleaded softly, reaching for his hand as she pressed her arm against his. His body flooded with warmth and he knew he was blushing. He entwined his thick fingers with her tiny thin ones.

"Why do you want to hear about them?" he asked.

"Because you never tell me about your family," she said.

_And there's a reason for that, _Rocco thought.

"They aren't worth talking about," he muttered, looking away from her.

"Rocco …" She extended his name into many syllables, and Rocco knew she wouldn't let up, despite how much he really wanted her to. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Maybe another time," he promised. He looked up at the sky and noticed the bright moon hovering above them. Slivers of wispy grey clouds circled the nighttime sky, and a cool gust occasionally brushed passed them.

"You should go inside," he suggested, squeezing her hand affectionately. "I don't want you to catch a cold."

Jenna smiled. "That eager to get rid of me?" Rocco's eyes widened.

"Of course not!"

She giggled and tilted her head. "I know. I was just kidding."

"How can I be so sure?" Rocco asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Maybe this will assure you," Jenna said, and she reached on the tips of her toes up to him, planting a gentle kiss on his jaw, inches away from his lips. He's insides eroded with butterflies and he mentally cheered with excitement.

"You missed," he noted when she was flat on the ground. Jenna cocked her head in puzzlement, blushing at the thought of doing something wrong with her affectionate gesture.

"What?"

But she needn't say anymore because Rocco had already crashed his lips onto hers, a longing that he'd had since he first developed feelings for her. He heard her gasp through their kiss, but that only furthered his excitement. He gently pressed her body against his by placing a hand on the small of her back. She felt her spare hand press against his chest while the one still entwined with his own squeezed his hand in return. Rocco's body flourished with happiness, and he practically felt it emit off of Jenna as well. He'd never been happier.

The kiss didn't last much longer and they parted reluctantly. He wondered what would happen next. Would he and Jenna go to school as a new couple the next day, or would they keep their relationship a secret from all those who remained unsupportive of them? Part of Rocco thought, screw them, let's do it; the other part of him feared the reactions of his friends. Despite how much he didn't want to care about what his best friends thought, the fact was that a small part of him still did. After all, they were his best friends, and Rocco knew that Jenna suffered the same dilemma with her own clique.

"Go on inside," Rocco murmured to her, pressing his forehead against hers as he listened to her pant softly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded and Rocco pressed his lips to her forehead one last time before she backed away.

"What do we do now?" she asked. She was referring about tomorrow, the same thing Rocco had been contemplating.

"What do you want to do?" Rocco asked in return.

Jenna was silent briefly, thinking. "I don't know. Dimitri will be so angry. And my friends won't let me hear the end of it. But, on the other hand, I really want people to know about how we feel."

"I know what you mean," Rocco agreed. "My best friends will probably persuade me to forget about you more than they already do, and they won't let me hear the end of it either." He sighed heavily. "How upsetting that our friends don't understand us."

"Except Paige," Jenna said brightly. "That's why I love her." She giggled.

"Oh, now you have feelings for _her_?" Rocco teased. Jenna's eyes widened.

"No! I mean—" She noticed the grin spreading on his face and scowled at him. "Oh you! Don't do that. You almost made me feel bad."

"Almost?" Rocco arched an eyebrow. "What will I do with you, Jennalee Summers?"

Jenna giggled again, and it was music to Rocco's ears.

"Perhaps let me back inside. You were right; it is quite chilly out here and a cold is the last thing I need," she said. Rocco nodded and Jenna walked back.

"Maybe we should keep this on the down low," Jenna suggested as she began to walk away. "With the exception of Paige, because I already know she'll understand. This thing is new to us, and we both don't want the flak from our friends."

In a way, Rocco was disappointed, but at the same time, it was what he wanted as well. Eventually the two of them would come out and announce their relationship, no matter what anybody thought. After all, he was her Romeo, and she was his Juliet. Their relationship was their own romantic tragedy.

"Alright," he agreed. A small smile appeared on her face. Her hand finally tore from Rocco's as she turned on her heel to walk up the steps to her front door. When her hand was around the knob, she turned to look over her shoulder at him.

"Good night, Rocco," she said.

"Good night, Jenna," he returned. There was a gleeful smile on her face as she turned around and hurried back inside, shutting the door behind her.

A sort of emptiness had filled him when she was gone, but it was immediately overcome by the memory of their kiss. Rocco had _kissed _Jenna. He'd finally expressed his feelings for her. The emptiness was gone. In its place was his happiness.

But, just as quickly as the happiness came, it left and in its stead left dread. It was a voice that ruined his moment of peace, and when he turned around, his eyes were glaring with such malice.

"Getting too attached to her, aren't you, Rocco?" sneered Octavian from the shadows. He walked towards him, the moonlight illuminating his pale face. His athletic figure was compressed in a tight shirt, the sleeves ripped off to expose his large biceps, as he normally did, and his long legs encased in super skinny jeans. His body wasn't affected by the chilliness of the weather, as most full vampires weren't, and Rocco was sickened that Octavian took every moment to show off his chiseled body.

Octavian flicked his jet black hair out of his face, his amber orbs taunting. Rocco's fingers curled into fists.

"Jealous?" Rocco retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Jealous that she likes me more than yourself?"

Octavian rolled his eyes. "I don't care who she likes more—I wasn't going to try and win her over. I get what I want no matter what. _You_ know that … and your little friend Kitty Kat does too."

"Stop calling her that," snarled Rocco. "And you're not getting what you want this time. Whatever you plan on doing, forget it. I'm not letting you near her."

"You're too late," chuckled Octavian humorlessly. "I'm outside her bedroom window almost 24/7. As soon as the sun sets, I'm watching her every move in that window. She quite likes you, I must say. It's so cute, I'm repulsed."

"That _was_ you who she's been seeing. The bat outside her window." Octavian clicked his tongue and winked.

"Bingo, buddy boy," he chimed. "So, how is it like to taste her lips? To be so close to her rushing blood?"

"I never think about her blood," growled Rocco.

"Liar." Octavian stuck his chin in the air majestically. Rocco glowered. The two of them were going to break out into a fist fight, just like they always did. And they were still outside of Jenna's house.

"Get away from here," Rocco seethed, exposing his large fangs. "Don't ever come back. I'm not letting you near her. Jenna's blood will never be yours."

Octavian cracked his neck. "That's too bad, Rocco, because I've already got my heart set on it. Whether you like it or not, whether _she_ likes it or not, her blood is mine. I _claimed_ it."

As images of Octavian taking Jenna for his own manifested in Rocco's mind, his fist broke out and he swung at Octavian. Octavian snarled and blocked his fists, but only just barely. Rocco knew that Octavian's full vampirism gave him an advantage for speed, but Rocco was just as powerful, and Octavian knew it. So as soon as Octavian extended an arm to hit Rocco in the face, Rocco grabbed it and swung him over. Octavian's back slammed against the cement of the sidewalk and a sickening crack echoed down the street.

Octavian roared and when he opened his eyes, they flashed with a furious red. He picked himself from the ground and swept a kick from beneath. Rocco easily avoided it, but he didn't realize until after the collision that the kick was merely a diversion. With Octavian's quick speed, he was crashing his fist into Rocco's face within milliseconds from being on the ground. Rocco flew back against a tree, another sickening crack echoing through the neighborhood.

Rocco's mind was fuzzy. His vision was blurry. He hated the human half of him because he couldn't recover as fast as he would like. A move that could have permanently paralyzed Octavian if he were human by throwing him overhead was only a move that made him angry. Octavian was unscathed. Sure his shirt was slightly frayed and his hair was tousled, but other than that, he looked immaculate, as always.

"Maybe I should put you out of your misery now," snarled Octavian as he stomped towards him. "Your pathetic half-vampire blood is spilling all over your face. Let me help you clean that up."

"You're not touching me, bastard," Rocco rasped, spitting mouthfuls of blood onto the floor before him. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and staggered away from the tree. Even with his flurried vision he still managed to get in a couple of punches. Rocco's fist crashed from underneath Octavian's chin in an uppercut fashion. He snarled as his head jerked back and got Rocco into a headlock, but Rocco retaliated with a headbutt and Octavian was quick to release him.

"What will you do if she walks in on our dispute? What will you do if she sees your fangs?" Octavian sneered.

"What will _you_ do?" Rocco panted back.

Octavian wiped his lip, which sported a trickle of blood from the uppercut, and laughed. "I won't do anything. I don't care if she finds out what I am. I'm taking her for myself anyway. That dainty little body—do you wonder what she looks like without her pure white clothing?" He grew a masochistic grin. Rocco bared his teeth and snarled inhumanely. "_I _know what she looks like. She's got quite nice curves for a petite little thing. She's so plump and shiny—makes me eager to get my hands on her and take her innocence."

_"Shut up!"_ Rocco screamed and swiped a set of claws against his face. Octavian froze from the impact and his red eyes widened. Suddenly, Rocco saw his face twist in such an animalistic fury that he almost didn't look like himself anymore. He looked demonic, like how the stereotypical vampires looked.

Octavian darted for him, but he suddenly stopped and his ears perked up.

_"Damn it,"_ he hissed, his eyes narrowing to slits. "The pesky humans across the street noticed our commotion. They've called the police, and they're on their way."

Rocco's ears also perked up at the sound of screeching sirens. Octavian growled as he backed away into the shadows.

"This isn't over, half-vamp," he seethed. "And your little girlfriend is my prey … and she always will be."

His body disappeared into the darkness and suddenly a screeching bat flew into the night sky. Would he be back to stalk Jenna's window again? Rocco thought that he should stay outside her window, just for the night. His parents wouldn't care, yet his friends would question, but it was worth Jenna's safety.

Rocco looked up at her window and wandered towards it before the police could arrive. Had Jenna seen anything? He thought about what Octavian had said about her finding out about his vampirism. What _would_ Rocco do if she found out? She liked fantasy and fairy tales, but she didn't believe in the supernatural stories that the older folk of Bucharest liked to tell. The tall tales of vampires roaming Transylvania many centuries back. If Jenna were to find out they were true … Would she not like him anymore? Would she be afraid because he was a living nightmare?

He peered up at the tree in front of her window. It was a perfect view for a vampire bat to hang and watch the happenings inside her room, and that infuriated Rocco. Tonight he'd stay and keep watch of her window, and if any stalking bats happened to fly by, he'd be sure to shoo them away. The prying eyes of Octavian Helms would no longer gaze inside his dainty little Jenna's room ever again.


	14. New Club Members

**14. **_New Club Members_

* * *

"So, you taking care of Jenna?" Paige inquired one afternoon, passing Rocco in the hallway. He turned and met with her smirking face. It had been a month since Rocco and Jenna had kissed, and Paige, of course, was the first to know about it. Rocco didn't mind it; he thought it was kind of cute that Jenna was so eager to describe her night with him to one of her best friends. Plus, Rocco had grown fond of Paige. They were easy friends, which made Jenna just as happy.

Rocco smirked in return as he shut his locker, fixing a black knit cap over his unruly shaggy hair, displaying his gauged ears. The winter season had finally arrived and people had returned to their heavy coats and boots that Romania was famous for. The snow clouds were rolling in and Bucharest was due for a storm soon.

"Do you doubt my skills?" Rocco joked, adjusting the strap of his backpack over one shoulder. His brawny figure was drenched in another black hooded sweater, a gory picture of a body with the name of a heavy metal band printed across the chest. His legs were encased in black straight-leg jeans, his waist adorned with studded and bullet belts. He sported a pair of old Converse sneakers and his trademark spiked dog collar to complete his look.

Paige rolled her eyes and chuckled. Her figure was much more bundled up than Rocco's was. Her short, curvaceous body was wrapped in multiple black and red jackets, dark plaid skinny jeans, and a pair of leather boots. Her dark chocolate brown hair fell pin-straight to her shoulders and was topped with a fur-lined trapper hat. Her cherubic face was made up with dark make-up, like most goth girls, and a thick straight-across fringe was swept over her thickly outlined ocean blue eyes.

"How long are you going to keep this thing secret? Don't your friends question your time around her? I know Dim does, but Dim questions Jenna's time around any male that isn't himself," Paige muttered, keeping her voice down so no passers-by could pick up their conversation. Rocco looked straight ahead, but he pondered her words. He'd never kept a secret so big from his friends for so long. And he was surprised Octavian hadn't leaked anything about them either since their last encounter. Either that or he did tell his trio of best friends and they were pretending nothing happened. It was a terrible way to keep a friendship, especially so many so close, but he felt so strongly for Jenna, stronger than he had any other girl, vampire or not. It had only been a month since their expressed their feelings, but Rocco felt as if he'd liked her so much longer. He thought he loved her.

Though, he did think it was too early to be thinking that way, and he wouldn't tell Jenna, at least not yet. She might think he was moving much too quickly in their relationship.

"I don't know," Rocco sighed. "I'll tell them eventually. I'm just sick of their judging and of them trying to get me away from Jenna when all I want is to be closer to her."

"Well, if they can't understand your feelings, especially for someone as different as yourself—or me, for that matter—then maybe they aren't really your friends. A friend would accept and support your decision, whether they understand or not. It doesn't appear that your little posse feels that way," Paige said matter-of-factly.

"They _are_ my friends," Rocco defended. "They understand me more than you know. It's just this one thing—_her_—that they can't come to accept. I know they want what's best for me, and, to them, Jenna isn't what's best."

"How is she _not_?" Paige asked incredulously. "Is it because she's not goth? Because that's stupid. Jenna is the smartest girl I've ever met. She's pretty, she's innocent, and she's sweet. Not to mention it was because of _her_ that _you_ are now passing your classes. Honestly, I don't understand how you can still be friends with those people if they don't think Jenna's good for you, because Jenna is the best you can get. And if it has to do with stereotypes, then tell them that _I specifically_ said to jump in a ditch."

Rocco couldn't think of a more ironic statement, considering that sometimes Claude and his crew _did_ jump into ditches … and slept in them too.

"I know it sounds stupid," Rocco agreed, "but _I_ know she's the perfect girl for me, whether she be goth or not. That's all that matters, right?"

Paige sighed and nodded, finally managing a small smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But if you _ever_ do anything to hurt her, watch out. I don't care how big you are and how small I am—I will hunt you down and cause you physical pain."

Rocco arched an eyebrow at her and scoffed. Even if Rocco wasn't half a vampire, he found it hard to believe that Paige's small frame could cause him any physical pain, but he didn't like the idea of any possibility of hurting Jenna in any way.

"Don't worry; even the thought of harming her is painful enough," Rocco muttered.

_"Good,"_ Paige said. "Well, I guess I'll see you around. Come back to the Cathedral some time so we can drink your 'special' Bloody Marys. Maybe you could manage to bring Jenna." She laughed, knowing the idea was absurd, as she knew her best friend wouldn't dare take one step into the ancient church building.

Paige turned and left and Rocco watched her disappear into the sea of heavily cloaked, traversing students. It had been ages since he'd visited the Cathedral, but that was because he spent all of his spare time with Jenna and making sure Octavian wasn't around. Would it be a good idea to visit the hipster club once again? Did he need a break from guarding Jenna? If only he knew if Octavian was going to be there too, he'd feel a lot better. He didn't want to leave Jenna alone at her house with Octavian's prying eyes. For all Rocco knew, if he were to take a night off, it could be the night Octavian launched his attack. That was what Rocco was afraid of.

What if Rocco _did_ bring Jenna with him to the Cathedral? She'd be terrified of the club, but they wouldn't have to stay for long. He just needed to get her away from her house. Octavian wouldn't know what they'd planned because he'd still be sleeping.

He searched the crowds for Paige and pushed past them. If Jenna was going to go to the Cathedral, then she'd definitely need a new wardrobe for the time being.

* * *

"The Cathedral? That goth club you're always going to?" Jenna asked Paige during lunchtime. Rocco had suggested the idea when they'd arrived at their table and, as predicted, Jenna didn't look too keen on the idea. Her bright smile had dropped when he'd offered to bring her to the club tonight.

"It's not _just_ for goths," Paige defended. "I mean, hippies and punk rockers go too."

"Isn't that place supposed to be filled with vampires or ghosts or something?" Dimitri piped, waving one half of his sub around while he spoke before taking a bite out of it. Rocco rolled his eyes.

"Don't be stupid," he snapped. Dimitri glared at him.

"Anyway!" Paige exclaimed before the boys could break out into argument. "Don't you think you should get out more, Jen? I mean, it's always great to try something new."

Jenna shyly looked down at the table, her lunch tray in front of her consisting of a healthy salad and bottled juice. Everybody knew that Jenna need to eat healthy foods to keep her figure slim; the girls across campus were immensely jealous of her fast metabolism and ability to eat whatever she wanted without gaining pounds.

"I-I don't know … It's not my kind of place," Jenna murmured.

"That's for sure," Dimitri remarked, earning foul glares from Paige now. "Jenny, if you don't want to go, you don't have to."

Rocco sighed. "He's right," he said reluctantly. "But—" He leaned down into her and whispered in her ear, which bought a puzzled and outraged expression from Dimitri. "—you've shared so much with me. I'd love to share something with you."

Jenna's fair cheeks blushed feverishly as she bit down on her bottom lip, suppressing the excited smile that Rocco always brought to her when he decreased the proximity between them. It was times like this that he really wished he didn't care what others thought. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her passionately and nuzzle his nose against her dainty one.

But he didn't, and before he could draw any more attention, he withdrew from her and slumped in his chair, stabbing a piece of raw meat he brought from home with his fork and sticking it in his mouth.

"Well … I guess it could be an interesting experience to go to the club," Jenna started slowly. Paige grinned from ear to ear, and Rocco arched an eyebrow while producing a smirk. Dimitri widened his eyes in fear.

"Are you kidding, Jen? Do you even know what you're saying? That place isn't for girls like you," he said. "I won't let you go."

"I'm sorry, but since when did _you_ become her father?" snapped Paige before Jenna could say anything. Rocco rolled his eyes again.

"Jenna will be _fine_. As long as I'm around, nothing is going to jump out and get her, like those vampires or ghosts you were talking about," snickered Rocco. Paige scoffed and shook her head. Jenna smiled shyly at him and secretly rested a hand on his thigh. Rocco felt his face heat and his heart pounded in his throat. That did it for him. He was ready to pounce on her and liplock until the end of days.

"You could come too, if you're so worried about Jenna," Paige offered. "I mean, I don't know what you're worried about; I know she's dainty and everything, but you act as if she's going to pass out on the spot the moment we arrive at the club."

"Well she might," Dimitri muttered under his breath. "You don't know her like I do."

"Dimmie," Jenna said gently. Dimitri's narrowed eyes glanced over Jenna's way, and Rocco noticed them shift attitude. His face had relaxed and he almost wanted to smile at her. "I'm not a little girl. I can take care of myself. I understand you want what's best for me"—she looked up at Rocco briefly—"but Paige is right; you're not my father and I know what decisions to make for myself. Sometimes you get a little too overprotective. It needs to stop."

Dimitri stared at her for a long time in silence. He was at a loss for words, and he appeared to have been slapped in the face by her. His eyes were wide and his lips were pursed shut. Rocco and Paige exchanged curious looks, before glancing back at Jenna, and then Dimitri again.

Finally, Dimitri sighed heavily and he shut his eyes. He placed his face in his hand briefly and when he withdrew it, his eyes were open again.

"Well, fine. Do what you want," he said stubbornly. Jenna's lips turned into a frown based on his attitude. Dimitri narrowed his eyes at Rocco's direction. "But I'm going with you guys."

Rocco scoffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, whatever," he said with a shrug.

"And," Dimitri continued, still looking at Rocco as if it were he who had accused him of this, "I am _not_ overprotective."


	15. The Cat's Out of the Bag

**15. **_The Cat's Out of the Bag_

* * *

Rocco caught up with Tripp after school that day, reaching him at his locker. Since Rocco had sports practice after school, he wouldn't be leaving with his trio of friends like he normally did, so he only had one chance to say what he was going to say to him, and that was now.

"Hey," he said when he approached Tripp. He turned and arched an eyebrow, almost as if he was wondering why he was talking to him. Rocco hated that feeling and he wished it would go away, that he and Tripp and the others could be normal again, just with a small change in Rocco's life.

"Uh … hey," Tripp said slowly. Rocco knitted his eyebrows together.

"What's wrong?" Tripp shook his head stuck the earphones to his iPod into his ears.

"Nothing. What's up?"

"I'm going to the Cathedral tonight," Rocco mentioned. Tripp's eyebrows rose to his hairline.

"Really?"

Rocco shook his head and grew a smirk. "I figured it's been long enough since I've been away."

"Um, yeah! I'm glad you finally got yourself checked!" Tripp joked excitedly, punching him in the arm. "So, finally letting go of Jenna?"

Rocco gulped and his smirk dropped. Tripp's eyebrows knitted together in puzzlement.

"Well … no," he said. "She's actually coming with me tonight."

_"What?"_

"Tripp, you don't understand—"

"Oh, I understand plenty," Tripp snapped. "You spend all of your time away from your friends and your favorite hangout so you can be with _her_, a measly human. And now you want to drag her along to the Cathedral? Rocco, that's not even her type of place. She won't fit in."

"Don't my feelings mean anything? Okay, yes, I like this girl. There. Are you happy that I admitted it?" Rocco exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air.

"No. This is exactly what we were trying to _prevent_," Tripp retorted.

"I don't care that she's human. She's everything I want in a girl. She's smart, she's funny, and she's sweet. She's caring and likes me back. Okay? In fact, I've already kissed her." Tripp's eyes widened. "Yeah, that's right. We're a couple. And I'm not going to hear your nagging either. I'm doing what's best for me, and you three being my best friends … well, I need you to accept that and to support me."

"Rocco, she's Octavian's prey. We were trying to protect you from getting hurt by him. He'll get to you through her. We're looking out for you because we're your friends, but you're pushing us away."

"I can look out for myself," Rocco assured. "Let me love who I want to, whether she be human or not. Jenna's it, Tripp. I think I love her, and you want to take her away from me. What kind of friend does that?"

"You don't understand your priorities, Rocco," Tripp scolded.

That did it for him. Rocco was angry.

"Listen to me," Rocco hissed, glaring now. His voice had dropped several notches and was now speaking in whispers. Tripp backed into his locker, surprised and intimidated by Rocco's behavior. "Octavian knows where she lives. He's been watching her from her bedroom window for too long now, and I'm not letting that happen anymore. I'm making sure that bastard doesn't get anywhere near her because _he can't have her._ Jenna is mine.

"Don't you understand, Tripp?" Rocco continued, backing away slightly. "I don't care if she's supposed to be prey. I've been protecting her from Octavian's perverted claws. He wants to do things _unimaginable_ to her, things that no girl deserves. And because I love her, I'm _especially_ not letting him get to her. I will _kill_ him if I have to. Remember what happened with Kat."

Rocco sighed heavily as Tripp stared wide-eyed at him.

"You … you love her?" he asked softly. Rocco looked away shyly.

"Yeah," he muttered.

"And … is Octavian really thinking about doing things in … _that_ category to her?" Again, Rocco nodded, disgusted.

"I don't care if you don't understand my feelings for her," Rocco said, looking up with a firm expression, "but I hate keeping stuff from you guys. And I also hate that you're trying to keep me away from her when you know I have feelings for her. I don't care what you think of her, whether she's not right or not—but _I_ know she's right, and all I want for you is to accept my feelings."

"You're right," Tripp said with a heavy sigh. "You're right about everything. I'm sorry we haven't been treating you or your feelings right. We've been terrible friends, not supporting your decisions. We'll lay off."

Happiness exploded within Rocco when he heard his friend's words. Suddenly everything seemed so much easier. He wanted to describe his nights hanging out with Jenna, the fun times chatting and joking, the hilarious faces her parents make at the sight of him. He didn't have to hide her anymore. Now he could show everyone they were a couple.

"So … now to tell the others," Tripp sighed heavily. Rocco nodded.

"But I'm glad you of all people have accepted this," Rocco said honestly. "We're close friends, and you accepting this means a lot. It will mean a lot to Jenna too."

Tripp smiled and nudged him in the arm with his elbow. "Hey, don't be getting all sappy with me. Save that for Jenna."

Rocco's eyes widened. "What? I wasn't being sappy!" he said defensively. Tripp laughed and shook his head.

"Chill bro. I'm kidding."

Rocco rolled his eyes and playfully punched Tripp in the arm as they headed for the doors out the school to meet with the others.

* * *

"I can't believe you, Rocco," Kat snapped as soon as Tripp and Rocco filled her and Claude in about Jenna. She in particular was disgusted that he was into a human. Claude accepted it faster than Rocco thought. He'd forgotten how "wrong" it was for him to date a human when Rocco mentioned Octavian's intentions, about defiling her. Claude remembered Octavian mentioning it before, but hearing the repeat disgusted Claude as well.

"I don't care if you don't understand me," Rocco said, "but I'm in love with her. And everything I do for her, it's because I care about her. I'm protecting her from Octavian Helms. She will not be his prey or his sex toy."

Kat shuddered when he mentioned that. She wrapped her arms around her waist and shut her thickly outlined eyes briefly.

"This is why you shouldn't have gotten attached," Kat scolded. "If you weren't attached, then you wouldn't be worried about her. You'd let Octavian do his thing."

Rocco narrowed his eyes at her. "I figured you'd understand more than anyone, considering you _dated_ Octavian and confessed your _love_ to him," Rocco snarled.

Kat glared icily and turned away.

"Kat?" Tripp called out to her.

"Octavian _always_ gets what he wants," Kat murmured, her back still turned to the trio. She squeezed her waist tighter. "If he wants Jenna, he's going to get her."

"Not if I can stop him," Rocco said boldly.

"Rocco can take him on," Claude supported, clapping Rocco on the shoulder.

"You can try," Kat said, finally turning around. Rocco noticed how sad her eyes were. They were glassy, and though she held an emotionless composure, he could tell she wanted to cry—because it was the same look she had when Octavian broke up with her, when he'd broken her heart and embarrassed her. It was a foreign look, since Kat was so strong and nonchalant about everything. But when it came to Octavian, it was as if she was being ripped apart from the inside. She was exposed to her emotions.

"Jenna's going to get hurt," Kat said cryptically, but her tone was sincere. "Ever since Octavian met eyes with her, I knew things were going to turn out terrible for her."

"Why are you saying that, Kat?" Rocco demanded. "I _can_ stop Octavian. We've been rivals ever since he turned into a douche when he broke up with you. We're equal in strength. I can protect Jenna."

Kat smiled sadly.

"I sure hope so," she said. "I'm afraid for both of you. I just don't want to see you hurt if he gets a hold of her."

"He _won't_," Rocco assured. "I'm not letting him."

The torn expression plastered all over Kat's face didn't help him at all, and Rocco's gut twisted agonizingly. Kat was afraid for them. That in itself clearly wasn't good. Kat was never afraid. Jenna truly was in danger.

* * *

Jenna stared out the window, wide-eyed. She grasped Rocco's hand and gulped.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to a brightly lit café?" she asked timidly. Rocco chuckled and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"You'll be fine," he reassured, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pressing her body against his. "As long as I'm with you, you've got nothing to worry."

Claude's slick black car drove past the line to get into the club. Kat sat up front in the passenger seat. She looked behind her briefly and Rocco had caught her warning gaze. The conversation they'd had after school hadn't left his mind, but he didn't want to think about it. He promised himself that if Octavian were to lay a finger on Jenna, Rocco would go for the kill. It'd be like feeding on a human. He'd rip his throat and let him bleed.

"I can't wait to find Paige and Dim," Jenna muttered under her breath.

They climbed out of the car. Paige and Dimitri were already in line, saving them spots. Claude, Tripp, and Kat would go through the vampire entrance, but Rocco wanted to stay with Jenna. It would also prevent suspicion from rising.

Jenna walked awkwardly next to him in her new gothic attire. Luckily she and Paige were the same size—or at least almost. She sported a pair of lace-up combat boots, a pair of leggings tucked into them and under a hazardously torn t-shirt dress with a face Jenna found disturbing printed on it. Around her petite waist were a couple of shiny studded belts, and an oversized jacket—courtesy of Rocco—was draped over her shoulders to keep her from the cold. Paige had even done her make-up as well, and Jenna was almost unrecognizable with her thickly rimmed green eyes and heavy eye shadow. Rocco liked the look, but he missed her pure and innocent style. He was anxious for her to wash the make-up off and dress into some pastels.

Her fingerless gloved-hand was secured in his large calloused one when they met up with Paige and Dimitri. Paige was dressed in her usual gothic attire, and Dimitri had darkened it up a bit too. His hair was tousled and he sported a heavy metal band jacket and black skinny jeans with an array of bullet belts. When he saw the couple holding hands, he glared.

After Rocco had told Jenna about coming out about their relationship to his friends, Jenna only thought it fair to tell hers. Dimitri was completely unsupportive and tried to talk her out of it, but luckily Paige was there to put him in his place. The two felt relieved that they're secret was finally loose. It was more exciting now that they could show the world that they had feelings for each other. No more hiding.

"Hi guys," Paige greeted. "Where's the rest of your crew?" she asked Rocco.

"They're meeting us inside," Rocco said, remaining vaguely as possible. Paige shrugged and turned to Jenna, complimenting on how good a job she did on her.

"Although, I do miss you in white. Black just isn't your color," she said.

"That's for sure," muttered Dimitri. Paige narrowed her eyes at him.

"Hey, Mr. Killjoy, you didn't _have_ to come," she snapped.

"Of course I did," he retorted, glaring back at Rocco. He rolled his eyes and tugged Jenna closer to his side to keep her warm.

"Don't worry, bro. We're not going to do anything explicit. You don't have to watch us all night," Rocco said.

"Rocco," Jenna scolded quietly. Dimitri scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"It's not just _you_ I need to watch out for. Who knows who—or what—else is roaming this building. Jenna could get lost."

"Again with treating her like she's a five-year-old," Paige groaned.

"Paige is right," Rocco agreed. "She's not five years old. She's sixteen, and I'm pretty sure she can take care of herself."

"She can also speak for herself as well," Jenna piped, annoyed. Rocco widened his eyes at her and sheepishly looked away. She sighed. "Look. We're here to have fun, right? I mean, yeah, I'm scared to be here; just look at this place—"

"We can always leave … right now," Dimitri interrupted which bought him a dirty look from Jenna.

"—but since I've shared so much with Rocco, it's only fair that he gets to share something important to him with me." She squeezed his hand and looked up at him, resting her head on his bicep, since she was too short to reach his shoulder. Rocco snuck a smirk at Dimitri, who looked annoyed.

"Hmm … funny how your new boyfriend can get you to come to a club you'd swear you'd never step near, but your best friend of three years can't," Paige piped, stroking her chin while looking back over her shoulder with an arched eyebrow. Jenna blushed and smiled shyly.

"I'm still wishing that I wasn't here," muttered Dimitri underneath his breath. Paige rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, we all are," she retorted. He glared at her.

Rocco chuckled to himself as he tuned the bickering pair out. His arms wrapped around Jenna, who snuggled into his hooded sweater-drenched chest to keep warm, holding her tightly and comfortingly. It had been years since he stood in the human line. He hadn't known there was a secret entrance to the Cathedral specifically for vampires until Claude's cousin, Alexander, had filled them in. It took a bit of persuading to the vampire guards to let the half-vampires use that entrance. They claimed it was only fair because they had vampire blood, but the guards didn't think so, since they were also human. Eventually, Alexander stepped in and insisted they let them use the entrance just like the other vampires. It's really the only thing Claude has to thank for Alexander, but he doesn't like to admit it.

As Rocco's eyes peered over the tops of goths, his eyes suddenly landed on the side of the Cathedral, and they widened in fright.

Octavian Helms was leaning against the wall with his small posse of low-life vamps, and he was grinning triumphantly at Rocco, as if he'd already won their small war.


	16. The Vampires Will Never Hurt You

**16. **_The Vampires Will Never Hurt You_

* * *

Jenna looked up at Rocco's terrified face and her eyes widened.

"Rocco? What is it?" she asked before following his gaze and widening her own eyes. She gasped and clung to Rocco in fear. "Wh-what's he doing here?"

"Who?" Paige asked, narrowing her eyebrows. "Who are you talking about?"

"What's going on?" Dimitri asked, also narrowing his eyebrows.

"Nothing," Rocco said quickly, shielding Jenna from Octavian. "Uh, we've got to go, actually."

"What? You're joking! We've been waiting forever and we haven't even got into the club yet!" Dimitri exclaimed.

"You don't even _want_ to be here," Rocco sneered. "So take this as your opportunity to leave with us."

Dimitri glared at him, but he said no more.

"Hold _on_. What the hell is going on? Why are you leaving so suddenly?" Paige asked. "You guys look as if you've seen a ghost, which, I guess, wouldn't be too surprising considering that this place was abandoned for ages."

"I've forgotten something at your house," Jenna said suddenly, improvising along with Rocco. "We're off to get it. We'll be right back."

"Well then, why don't I go with you?" Paige asked. She turned to Rocco. "Save our spots in the line. I'm sure by the time we come back it will have hardly budged."

"No!" Rocco shouted unintentionally, looking back at Octavian's smug face. "Er—I mean, no that's fine. We can all leave, sure, but I wanted to make sure Jenna got her, uh, _item_ back from your house."

Paige and Dimitri exchanged looks of puzzlement.

"Jeez, Jen, what did you forget?" Dimitri asked.

"Uh … I forgot my … um …"

"Her … _pencil_," Rocco blurted.

"Her _pencil_?" Paige and Dimitri repeated in unison.

_"My _pencil_?" _Jenna hissed in disbelief. Rocco rolled his eyes.

"Okay, now that's just ridiculous, Jenna," Paige said. "I am not wasting gas just to go get your pencil."

"That's okay. We can walk back," Rocco suggested.

"But it's twenty blocks!" Dimitri exclaimed.

"I think I know what's going on," Paige said slowly. "You two just want to escape us so you can be alone." She narrowed her eyebrows accusingly, and Dimitri's face twisted with surprise and disgust. Jenna's and Rocco's eyebrows rose.

"Wait … what?" Jenna blurted.

"Okay fine; you caught us," Rocco sighed. Jenna looked up at him. "We really just want to be alone. I hope we didn't offend you."

"Um, yeah, you kind of did," snarled Dimitri, who was immediately nudged in the side by Paige.

"No, no," she said, shaking her head. "I get it. And it's totally fine. You guys go on."

"Paige!" Dimitri exclaimed, but she ignored him.

"Just don't take too long. I don't want to spend the entire night attached to Dimmie the Dummy," she added. Dimitri snarled at her.

Rocco nodded quickly and glanced over his shoulder. Octavian was making his way towards them, taking his sweet time because he knew he could immediately catch up in a split second.

"Alright, well, see ya," he said quickly and pulled Jenna away from them.

"Is he following us?" she asked when they were away from the line.

"Yeah," Rocco said. "Come on."

He ran down the block, careful to not speed up too much because he knew Jenna wouldn't be able to keep up, and searched for a brightly lit building. It was only ten at night, so there would be cafés still open. Whether they be crowded or not, it didn't matter; they just needed bright light to ward the vampire away.

"Why don't we hide somewhere dark so he doesn't see us?" Jenna suggested, her cheeks red from running.

"No!" Rocco blurted, and when he saw her taken aback expression, continued with, "He has really good eyes. He'd be able to see us in the dark."

"I highly doubt that if we—"

"It's not safe. Trust me. I know this guy," Rocco assured. Jenna pouted slightly and nodded, running to keep up with him, their hands still entwined.

Rocco continued looking behind him, and Octavian had disappeared, but he didn't trust the vampire. They ran for another two blocks before stopping to catch their breath. The way Jenna's body fell against his told him that she was ready to pass out. He could practically hear her heartbeat pounding from the exercise.

"You okay?" he asked her gently, tucking her underneath his arm. He slipped it underneath her arm to keep her lifted so she wouldn't collapse onto the ground.

"Yeah," she panted, barely a whisper. Her breath was extremely heavy, and he could see the clouds from her lips because the air was so chilly. Rocco brushed some blonde hair out of her face before pressing his lips to the side of her face.

"Done running, kids?" snickered Octavian. Rocco and Jenna immediately lifted their heads. Rocco snarled and Jenna widened her eyes in fright. His amber orbs narrowed at his as his lips curved into a seductive grin. "Hello, baby."

"Who _are_ you?" she cried.

"Let me introduce myself," he said, extending a hand. "I am Octavian Helms. And, might I say, you are the most darling little thing I've ever seen, although I'm quite interested in your little get-up this evening. Have fun playing dress-up? I like the new look, but I think I prefer you in white."

"What?" she whispered in shock. "How do you … What are you … I don't—What are you talking about?"

"Isn't that what your entire wardrobe is made up of? Whites and pastels? Light colors? Anything _but_ black? Yet, here you are, dressed like a girl who is obsessed with vampires." With his impeccable speed, he was within inches from Jenna's face, and her eyes were the size of dinner plates. "_Do_ you like vampires?"

"Vampires aren't real," she squeaked, grasping on to Rocco's sweater, balling it in her fists. Octavian backed away and tilted his head back in laughter.

"You can leave, Helms. You aren't wanted," Rocco growled. Octavian's laughing ceased and he looked at Rocco with a glare.

"I'm sorry … I fail to recall when the last it was that I _cared_ whether I was wanted or not. I'm not going anywhere, not until I get what I want." His eyes landed on Jenna. Her breathing rapidly picked up its speed and Rocco feared she'd hyperventilate in his arms.

_"No,"_ snarled Rocco, tightening his arms around her possessively.

"No matter," Octavian said calmly. "I planned to resort to using force anyway."

He lunged for Jenna, his long fingers grabbing onto her shoulder. Before Rocco could even blink, he had her in his own arms. Jenna screamed and Octavian clapped a hand over her mouth as he held her close to his chest, unaffected by her wriggling.

Rocco was infuriated. His eyes flashed red as he snarled like an animal, lashing his claws at Octavian. But Octavian, cunning as ever, used Jenna as a shield, and instead of Octavian's face, it was Jenna's back that his claws slashed. She cried out in pain and Rocco's heart almost shattered.

"Oh, look what you've done," Octavian said in false disappointment. "Such a terrible boyfriend. _Tsk, tsk._"

"Oh fuck," Rocco whispered. Jenna's tears strolled down her face as she continued to moan in pain, the raw flesh stinging.

Suddenly, Octavian's grin turned masochistic yet again as he took a deep whiff of her pouring blood.

"Oh yes …" he sighed, pressing her body tightly against his as a hand grazed her back, running over her wound. She cried out in pain again at his touch and Rocco wanted to run for her, but he was frozen from the delectableness of her blood.

Octavian raised his bloodstained hand to his mouth and ran his long tongue against his palm, moaning with pleasure at the taste.

"Oh God," he sighed again. "So delectable … so irresistible …"

"What are you _doing_?" sobbed Jenna, trying to push herself away from him. "Somebody … help me! Rocco!"

Her plea shook him out of his trance and he struggled to overcome her exposed blood. He reached for her, but Octavian's evil red eyes flashed angrily at him and he bared his fangs at him.

_"Get away from my prey!" _he hissed demonically. Jenna screamed again and pushed herself away, or at least tried to. She was stuck to him, as if permanently glued to his chest. Rocco hated seeing her in so much pain, hated seeing the tears falling down her face.

"Let her go, Octavian!" shouted Rocco, and he lunged for her again. This time, Octavian swung an arm at him to get him away, but Rocco ducked and dodged it. Octavian snarled and threw Jenna aside. She fell to the ground, groaning in pain from the impact of the cement and her gashes on her back. Rocco could see the urge Octavian had to just go back and drink from her, but he wouldn't go down without a fight. Octavian needed to make sure that Rocco was dead, and Rocco needed to make sure that Octavian was dead as well. He promised himself that if Octavian laid a finger on her, then he'd kill him. He'd done a lot more than lay just one finger on her.

"I'm going to drink her," he hissed, "and defile her and make her cry my name. Maybe I should make you watch."

"Shut up, you fucking bastard," Rocco snarled as he threw a fist at his face. Octavian caught it in mid-punch, but Rocco looked over his shoulder and called out to Jenna. _"Run, Jenna! RUN!_"

Jenna struggled to get up. Octavian glared and threw Rocco aside as well, turning to grab Jenna. His fingers wrapped around the collar of her jacket and she cried out when he pulled her up.

"Stop it! Leave me alone!"

"I don't think so, baby girl. You're my pet now," he whispered, licking his lips and smearing more blood onto his fingers from her wound.

"Stop touching her!" Rocco shouted.

"You think you can _win_?" Octavian boomed. "You _can't_. I _always_ get what I want, Rocco. _Remember that!_"

His foot suddenly collided with Rocco's gut and he flew back until he hit the side of a building, the back of his skull smashing into the brick wall. Jenna cried out to him and Rocco's gaze was fuzzy again. His head pounded and burned, but he could still smell Jenna's blood. It was the strongest scent, the strongest thing he could focus on. He barely heard her screams, and then he didn't hear them at all. This alerted him, but he was so disoriented that he couldn't get up right away. When his vision came too, he noticed that she had been gagged, and Octavian was dragging her into an alley, her limbs flailing in all sorts of directions, begging desperately for attention.

Rocco got up from the wall, his ears ringing, and stumbled. He was able to follow them into an alley, and managed to break through all of his minor disabilities when he saw what Octavian was doing to his beloved dainty Jenna.

Her eyes were bloodshot, the make-up around them blackening her cheeks in streaks. Her silky blonde hair was matted and tangled and sprawled all over the floor as she tossed her head back and forth. She was crying so dramatically as Octavian hovered above her, creating slashes on her body to tear her clothes and her skin. He wanted the blood to leak out, to drink it.

"Oh you have such a beautiful body," he murmured in her ear, "and such beautiful blood." Her chest rose and lowered so quickly, like she was being powered by a motor. "Don't worry, baby; the vampires will _never_ hurt you."

He ran a tongue along a gash he'd made along her the side of her breast, and Jenna tried to buck him off of her, but Octavian was too strong. He sucked on her skin drinking from her, fondling her other breast in his other hand.

Rocco almost cried himself. He couldn't imagine what he was seeing.

_Get your fucking mind straight, Rocco, and take that fucker out, goddamn it!_

He hurled towards Octavian while he preoccupied himself with Jenna's blood. He crashed into his body and knocked him off of her. Rocco hovered above him, smashing his fist into his face and creating gashes along his cheeks and his throat.

_"Bastard! Bastard! You—fucking—bastard!"_ he shouted with every strike. Octavian finally caught a hold of Rocco's fists and swung him off of him. He threw his own punches, and some of them connected with Rocco's face, but others didn't. The blood from Octavian's facial wounds were pouring down his face and into his eyes, blinding him. He cried out in pain, cursing and hissing. Eventually, he crumpled to the ground, writhing on the floor.

"My eyes!" he screamed, cupping his eyes. "My … fucking … eyes! They burn!"

Panting, Rocco climbed over Octavian once again and made a lunge for his throat. Octavian gasped dramatically once and then fell silent.

Rocco climbed off of him and hurried to Jenna, who was trembling terribly and struggling to take off the gag. Rocco slipped it off with ease and Jenna burst into loud sobs into his chest, not even able to make out a single word without blubbering. Rocco felt his eyes water himself. He, too, was shaken up by what had just happened. Kat had been right—well, almost.

Finally, Jenna parted from him and tried to cover herself up. Octavian had torn most of her clothes to shreds and had littered her flawless body with many gashes and scratches.

And then he noticed it.

Rocco's heart dropped to his stomach and he almost threw up.

"No …" he whispered. "No, no, no, no, no, no."

"What?" Jenna whimpered nervously.

Rocco's eyes remained on her breast, the one Octavian had sucked on. He noticed the irritated cut he'd made along the plump mound, and then he saw the puncture marks—two little dots just above it.

"No …" Rocco moaned, the tears leaking out of his eyes.

"That's right," gasped Octavian. Jenna screamed, and Rocco jumped.

"You … you …"

"I did it."

"What?" Jenna asked. "Why are you looking at me like that, Rocco? S-stop!"

Rocco ran his thumb shakily over the puncture wounds, and Jenna winced under his touch, exclaiming that he stop. But Rocco ignored her. He already felt dead inside. Her once soft skin was now forever scarred by the infamous vampire bite.

"You bit her," he muttered. Jenna's eyes widened as she looked down.

"You _bit_ me?" she cried. Octavian sat up, spitting out blood. The whites of his eyeballs had stained red from his blood, which blended with the red of his irises.

"I _always_ get what I want," Octavian repeated cryptically, followed by a raspy cackle.

"Where are we?" Rocco asked, looking around. "This isn't … It can't be … We're not on …"

"But we are," sang Octavian. "That building you smashed into? That's a funeral home. We're on hallowed ground."

"I don't … understand," Jenna whispered, her voice losing its energy.

Rocco burst into roars and cries, the tears streaming down faster than before.

"You could have done it before me," Octavian said. "Frankly, I wasn't planning on it, but her blood was so good, I couldn't ever part with her. If she died … well, I'd never find another satisfying human."

_"YOU ARE A FUCKING BASTARD!" _Rocco screamed as he lunged for him, but both were so weak that they neither hit nor dodged. "How could you? How _could_ you? _What did I ever do to you?_"

"Need I answer that, because I really don't want to," Octavian said. He crawled towards Jenna, who wanted to back away, but was so drained of blood that she couldn't move. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

"Like … I'm supposed to believe … that …" she gasped before lazily spitting on him.

"Hmm … I do love my girls with a bite. She will be a feisty one, despite her shy façade," Octavian chuckled. He pulled her chin down and held her mouth open, running his fingers along the tops of her teeth. "Ah! They're already growing in."

"I don't understand," Jenna wept. Octavian pecked her cheek.

"Welcome to the realm of the undead, my vampiress," he murmured.

"What?"

"You fucking son of a bitch," Rocco wept. "You turned her into a vampire!"

Jenna's eyes widened and her breath stopped.

"Not only is she a vampire," Octavian continued as he stroked her chin, "but she's bonded to me … _for eternity_."

"Vampires don't exist!" she exclaimed. "You're a liar! You're a _liar_!"

He flashed his fangs and his eyes glowered. She drew back in fear.

"_I'm_ the liar? Well, I'll tell you one thing; everyone at this gathering today is _not_ fully human," Octavian said smugly. Jenna's eyebrows knitted together.

"_I'm_ human! And so is Rocco! And so are you!"

"No! You stupid girl, I'm _not_ human! And you aren't either—not anymore. And Rocco isn't one either … he's only half. He's half human, half vampire; a filthy half-breed."

"Rocco," Jenna moaned. "What is he talking about?"

"I'm sorry, Jenna," Rocco said, completely broken. Jenna's eyes rolled and they became unfocused. Rocco's sobs choked in his throat and Octavian grinned.

"The venom is kicking in," he mused. Jenna wobbled in her seat, mumbling unintelligibly.

"Rocco …" he made out. "Rocco … Don't … leave me …"

He choked on another sob and glared at Octavian.

"I fucking hate you."

"You've got a dirty mouth," Octavian teased. "I can't say anything more than I told you so. _I always get what I want_. Why? Because I'm from the Helms clan, the strongest vampire clan in all of Transylvania."

"Rocco …" Jenna's moans became louder and more desperate. "Don't …! Help me! _Rocco!_" They turned to sobs as she lost control of her body. She fell and the searing pain from the bite on her breast shot to her neck. She grasped her breast tightly, gasping and crying. "Stop it! Help me!"

Octavian combed his fingers through her hair, hushing her, while Rocco sat helplessly, watching the only girl he ever loved writhe in pain from a vampire bite that wasn't his.

"Hush, my pet. The pain will be over soon," Octavian soothed. "And then you'll begin your new life, and you'll forget everything and everyone in the past. And you will be mine … _for eternity_."


	17. Anything for Juliet

**17. **_Anything for Juliet_

* * *

Rocco tried to die.

After Octavian had taken Jenna away from him for the rest of his life, not there was only one person Rocco wanted to kill more than Helms—himself.

The pain was unbearable in his chest. His heart ached, and if somebody were to tell him something similar in the past, he would have thought they were pathetic and cheesy. But now he knew that this was real. He hated reliving that night in his nightmares. He hated seeing Octavian hovering over her, his bloodstained lips suckled on to the cut along her breast, and he hated seeing Jenna's terrified face, screaming to him to help her—to save her.

Rocco had failed.

He hadn't saved her. In fact, he'd let Octavian bestow an even worse fate than death. Jenna was Octavian's new vampiress, bonded together for eternity. She would relive the night in the alley every day for the rest of her long, long life.

Rocco took partial blame for her fate. He promised to protect her, and he couldn't. He swore to his friends that he wouldn't let Octavian get what he wanted, but he did anyway.

Mayhem crashed on the quartet of half-vampires after the Jenna and Octavian incident. They were forced to drop out of school because Jenna's disappearance had been signed off as her death, and Paige and Dimitri knew that Rocco was the last person to be with her. Rocco couldn't be questioned because he couldn't tell anyone what actually happened. It would be hard to make up a story that would fill every sufficing detail. So, they left the school and were forced to become home-schooled.

Rocco's parents were more ashamed of him than ever before. Not only could he get himself his proper education and succeed, but he couldn't be the star athlete of the school team anymore. They were especially disappointed in him when they were told that everything that had happened had happened because he was involved with a human girl. Rocco was scolded for hours, being told that he was pathetic and worthless, but, of course, none of that was new to him. At the time he didn't even care; all that was on his mind was how he could have left Jenna in that mess. He thought about her family and friends. He thought about her education and her successes. She was the perfect child, the perfect student, and the perfect friend. She was the perfect girlfriend, and she would make the perfect wife. And Octavian, of all people—of all vampires—had her to himself.

Even though months had passed since Octavian had bitten Jenna and turned her, Rocco remained dangerously depressed and attempted taking his life, however all attempts ended in failure, whether it was because his friends talked him out of it, or he was just too cowardly to go through with it. He thought about Jenna 24/7, about how much he loved her in the few months they'd known each other. He remembered her tender lips and her gentle hands. He remembered her dainty body curled against his so perfectly. He remembered her silky platinum blonde hair and her bright green eyes. And every time he thought about her, his thoughts always ended in getting revenge.

A few weeks after Rocco tried taking his life, he began hanging out with his friends again. Claude, Kat, and Tripp were happy and relieved that Rocco had decided to get together with them again. They didn't go back to the club, for it held too many memories that might break Rocco again, but they lingered around the Sterling castle and wandered the vast land Claude's family owned.

"You'll never believe this, guys!" Claude exclaimed one day, rushing towards his friends who were sitting in a circle on the grass, drinking tall glasses of bright red liquid.

"What is it, Sterling?" Kat chimed, tilting her head back and arching an eyebrow.

"It's about the vials of ancient vampire blood—the ones that will turn us into full vampires," Claude said. "I know how we're going to get them."

* * *

Rocco's things were packed, and his coffin was yet to be taken apart for traveling. Claude had informed them that they were traveling to an American town—the same town his cousin Alexander had fled to after his covenant ceremony fiasco, or at least what was _supposed_ to be a covenant ceremony. They would be leaving in just a couple of days. Claude had booked plane tickets for them, a private flight on Air Transylvania.

He was slowly recovering from his depression with each passing day, though he told himself that he'd never forgive himself for what he'd let happen. He didn't care what the others told him, that it wasn't his fault, but he turned a deaf ear to their soothes. He'd convinced himself that Jenna's turning was completely his fault.

But the suicide attempts had stopped, and Claude, Kat, and Tripp were able to sleep soundly again, not worrying that when they woke up, Rocco would have a stake driven through his heart.

It had been a week since Claude had devised the plan to steal the vials that would make his clique full vampires, and Rocco believed he had a purpose again. At least he'd be able to make his parents proud once he became what he should have been born as.

Once he'd finished packing, Rocco walked down the stairs of his empty home and left. His parents were probably visiting with Claude's or Tripp's, where they moped together over the fact that their children weren't what they expected.

The moon was brightly lit overhead in the black sky, dotted by tiny sparkling stars. The air was crisp and it nipped at the lobes of his ears. His hands were stuffed into a pair of torn dark skinny jeans and his torso pressed into a plain black shirt and a leather jacket. His hair was topped with his usual knit cap, and his thick neck was laced with his trademark spiked dog collar. Fallen leaves crunched underneath his heavy combat boots as he stalked down the road.

He wasn't headed to anywhere in particular. He liked how the cool air was relieving his mind from the haunting thoughts of that night. Perhaps he'd head into a café and order a doughnut or a cup of hot chocolate to keep his mind off of the memory.

_"Rocco …"_

He suddenly stopped in his step and turned around, eyes wide. The voice had traveled through his ears like silk, like wind, like something soothing. But the voice was also familiar. It was _her_ voice.

His head whipped around, looking for Jenna, to see her for the first time since the night Octavian claimed her. But she was nowhere around, and his hopes had died. It could have been the wind and his mind, ganging up on him and playing tricks.

_"Rocco!"_

It was a cry this time, still Jenna's voice. His nightmares were coming to life, he realized. He shut his eyes tightly, pressing his hands to his ears.

"Stop," he whispered. "Stop doing this."

"It's okay," Jenna whispered, her voice so close to him. He didn't have to open his eyes to realize she was right in front of him, but he didn't want to be let down. His eyes remained shut, believing that her presence was a figment of his imagination.

He felt her familiar soft skin brush against the back of his hand, her fingers grazing it and grasping it, taking it in her own.

"Open your eyes, Rocco," she whispered pleadingly.

There was no denying that she was real, so he obliged, and his dark eyes fluttered open slowly. He saw her, then, her small figure standing before him, a deathly pallor replacing her slightly tanned tone from when she was human. Her face was the same, thank goodness. It wasn't pierced or tattooed or even coated in thick make-up, like how she'd gone to the Cathedral. Her green eyes glistened up at him with utter sadness, and she was well aware of the zero possibility of them being together again.

"It's so hard to look at you," Rocco muttered, gulping as he cupped her jaw. Jenna's lower lip trembled and her gaze fell.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Rocco's lip twitched and he grabbed her chin, tilting it up to him.

"Don't _ever_ apologize to me," he hissed. Jenna's eyes widened in fright before Rocco's tone calmed down. He let go of her chin. "Please don't ever apologize for what happened. You have no right. It was anything but your fault. You were the most innocent one there." He sighed heavily. "Oh God, Jenna. _I'm_ so sorry. I was supposed to protect you, and I didn't."

The tears were coming to his eyes again as he cupped her face. Tears strolled down Jenna's fair face as well.

"Now _you_ have no right to apologize either. What happened was as much your fault as mine," Jenna said gently.

"But it _wasn't_ your fault!"

She nodded calmly and smiled, the smile that had caused him to fall so deeply in love with her so quickly. "That's right."

"Where is Octavian?"

"I escaped him at the club," she said. "He's finding another innocent girl to seduce so he can drink."

"He'll find you," Rocco said. Jenna nodded.

"I know, but he's too busy occupying himself with a floozy. His mind isn't on me right now."

"Of all vampires … someone as perfect as you had to be bonded to someone as pitiful and repulsive as him," Rocco said.

"Don't pity me," she said. "I don't want it. I've already drowned myself in my own self-pity."

"I still can't fathom it … what he's done to you … I … I can't help but feel sorry," Rocco said.

Jenna shut her eyes. "No, you can't fathom it," she whispered sadly. "And every time he did something, I thought of you … prayed you come and rescue me from the monster … I'd pray that this was all just a bad dream. It is, I suppose; just one long bad dream."

Rocco's heart pounded in his throat and he struggled to keep from trembling. His fingers combed through her hair as he stared down at her. Her angelic face was the same as it always had been, but she was just so deathly pale, like a corpse. Her red lips almost appeared to be coated in lipstick because of the contrast. Her lashes were dark and long, brushing against the tops of her cheeks.

His gaze traveled further south and he noticed her bite mark, exposed by the extensively low-cut neckline of her white dress. It hugged her bodice and made her breasts appear bigger than they actually were. The flowing skirt was incredibly short as well, and it ended just at her mid-thigh. To complete her outfit, she sported a pair of strappy stilettos.

Rocco had never seen Jenna dress in such a way. Her dress incredibly revealing, and he knew Jenna herself would never fathom wearing such a thing. He figured Octavian's horny self was behind her apparel, forcing her to wear such a revealing dress. Sure, he thought she looked incredibly sexy, but he didn't like it on her. He didn't like how it made her appear to be one of the floozies Octavian chased after every night at the Cathedral. Rocco didn't even want to think about the other things Octavian forced onto Jenna.

"Even though I'm bonded for eternity to Octavian, I've always felt the same for you, Rocco," she continued. "And I was never given the opportunity to express my stronger feelings. I love you, so much …"

Rocco's eyes widened, and before he could say anymore, Jenna had wrapped her arms around his neck and reached up to kiss him, and Rocco had fallen into a blissful state once again. He was reminded of the days he'd spent with her, teasing and joking with her, laughing with her, studying with her, laying with her, kissing her ... The memories overpowered the one nightmare that had taken all of that away from him.

His hands were firmly cupping her face as he pressed further into her lips, moving faster and steamier than before. He grunted and she moaned softly, and he couldn't help but think sadly, _this was how it was supposed to be._

He thought he'd never be able to do this again, to feel her and kiss her this way. They were parting their ways, however reluctantly; she was bonded to the ever-possessive Octavian, and he was flying to America to become a full vampire.

What if they made their goodbye more special? Finally tying the knot between them that didn't necessarily mean a ring and an altar, but a private room and a coffin?

"Come home with me," Rocco whispered, gasping for air. Jenna's chest rose heavily as she gathered her breath as well. "Let's take this somewhere else. I want to … make this more special."

"I do too," she whispered in return, pressing her forehead to his. "I always have."

"Octavian will find out, though," Rocco remembered. "He'll probably feel it through your bond."

"I don't care," she said, shaking her head. "I've never cared how he felt because he's never cared about me. He wants me for two things: pleasure and blood. That's it."

Rocco cringed at hearing this, but he smoothed the back of her head lovingly.

"I've wanted you for so much more."

"I know."

They raced back to Rocco's abandoned home, hand in hand like how they did before. Jenna had never been to his house for obvious reasons, and Rocco never thought that it'd be safe for her to come, because he never thought that she'd join his world. He led her up to his room, and she noticed his packed belongings.

"You're leaving?"

"The gang and I are flying to America. We're searching for vials that will make us full vampires to finally be a part of the world we truly belong in—your new world. We've been ridiculed and looked down upon because we're only half-vampire and half-human," he explained.

"That's how you've been able to walk about during the day—to go to school and play in sports," Jenna said. Rocco nodded.

"But I sleep in a coffin just like you," he said, pointing to his black, stickered coffin. "I had hoped that I would share it with you, instead of you sharing with Octavian."

"I'd rather not sleep with that rat," she snarled. "There isn't a day that I sleep peacefully."

"Hopefully tonight will change that," Rocco murmured and he leaned into her, crashing his lips against hers and replacing his hands on her shapely hips. The night was young and the former couple took advantage of that. And when they were through consummating their love, Rocco knew by the look on Jenna's terrified face that Octavian knew what she'd done. So Rocco would have to face the Helms brat one last time. Anything for his little Jennalee—for his Juliet.


	18. Last Smile

**18. **_Last Smile_

* * *

Her dainty body was covered by his large brawny one. Despite her new vampire strength, Rocco was still afraid that he would crush her under his weight during their intercourse. He was grateful his parents were gone, because both he and Jenna made quite a ruckus in his coffin. In fact, he was surprised that they hadn't broken it with all of their wrestling.

He hovered over her panting chest, his muscled body gleaming with sweat. His arms and legs caged her underneath him, his eyes tracing the beautiful features of her naked body.

The only things that weren't so beautiful were her scars. All of the small cuts and gashes Octavian had made on her to drink from her had healed quickly, but his puncture wounds on the side of one of her breasts stared up at him. Rocco felt that they were the eyes of Octavian, taunting him, mocking him that Jenna wasn't his anymore.

_"I always get what I want._" The words never seemed to stop echoing.

The other scar he despised was the one given to Jenna by himself. Rocco had meant for his claws to connect with Octavian's face, but very quickly had Octavian thought to use Jenna as a shield, and Rocco hadn't realized what he'd done until he'd done it. During the intercourse, Rocco had caught the thin lines on her back, and he immediately felt remorseful over scarring her beautiful body. It was bad enough that Octavian did, but Rocco, who was always so gentle and careful with her, had left his own disgusting mark as well.

"It doesn't bother me," Jenna said when she'd noticed him staring at it. "I don't even get to see it because I can't look at myself in the mirror. But it doesn't hurt anymore. If anything, it reminds me that you are real and not just a dream while I'm stuck with Octavian."

Her words were meant to make him feel better, but they didn't. The scars reminded him of how he couldn't have protected her—that, out of his carelessness, he'd carved his claws into her instead of his enemy.

Jenna moaned underneath him as she turned her head from side to side.

"Octavian's furious," she murmured. "He's following me through the bond. He wants to kill you."

"Of course he does," Rocco scoffed, rolling his eyes with a glare. "I've touched his territory."

"I will _always_ belong to you, Rocco," Jenna said, reaching up to touch his face. "No matter what bond keeps us apart, I will never be anyone else's but yours."

Rocco smiled and kissed her lips, gently caressing the sides of her body, his fingers lightly grazing the tips of her breasts. She moaned softly again and smiled, shutting her eyes.

"I wish he would die," Jenna whispered, tears pooling at the edges of her eyes. "I want him dead so much."

"I wish I could kill him," Rocco said, nuzzling his nose against her neck. "I can't harm him without hurting you. It's the bond."

"I don't care, Rocco," she said, weeping now. "He's a terrible person. He does terrible things to me. I feel so dirty and violated every night. He makes me do things to him that I don't want to. And then he bites me, drinks my blood, and I feel the pleasure that I don't want to feel. It's because that's how vampires turn each other on, isn't it? Drinking from them. I hate it, Rocco. I hate feeling any pleasure with him. I hate it when he touches me, when he drinks from me … _I hate him_."

"I know you do," Octavian growled from the doorway of Rocco's bedroom. "But I don't care. You're mine, Jenna, and how dare you sneak away to fuck some other man, especially a _half-vampire_."

Rocco glared and Jenna quickly sat up, hiding behind him.

"Kill him, Rocco. Please."

"But, what about you?" Rocco asked softly. She smiled sadly, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"I love you so much. Do you realize how unhappy I am as a vampire? I long to be human again, to go to school, to be with my family and friends, to be _alive_," Jenna said. "He _ruined_ my _life_. He took it away from me."

Rocco shook his head, turning his glare back to Octavian, who was snarling at him. "You weren't supposed to be a vampire," he said, speaking to Jenna. "Your destiny was to remain a human."

"Oh, how sweet," Octavian spat. "Now you're talking about destinies and shit. Now get your fucking naked body away from my Jenna. I'm going to make sure you don't see her again. And you—" His malicious gaze turned on Jenna. "I'm going to make sure you never sneak away from me again."

"You're out of your mind," Jenna murmured.

"I'm going to kill you, Octavian—and I'm not going anywhere until I know you're _dead._"

Octavian scoffed. "Well okay, naked boy. Come at me."

_"Fuck you,"_ Rocco snarled and he jumped from coffin. So what if he was in the nude? Their fight wouldn't last so long and Rocco would even have time to take a nice hot shower afterwards.

His claws extended and he swiped at Octavian. Octavian flashed his fangs and lunged for him, ready to rip his throat open, but Rocco had the same intentions.

Rocco's nails caught on Octavian's shirt and ripped it hazardously. He threw a punch at his face and connected, but Octavian wasn't so fazed. Octavian grabbed Rocco's hair and kneed him in the gut, his shin connecting with Rocco's groin. Rocco gasped in pain and Jenna cried out to him. He felt his manhood throbbing but he tried to ignore it. That wasn't important, despite the pain of his crushed family jewels. He had one motive and he needed to focus.

"Hmm … well, at least you won't be sticking yourself into Jenna anymore," Octavian said snidely with a smirk.

"I could if I wanted to. She'd love it more than yours," Rocco shot back with a grin.

Octavian growled and punched him in the face. Rocco staggered back, but then he lunged for his side and dug his fangs into his skin. Octavian gasped in pain when Rocco bit a chunk of flesh out of his body and backhanded his face.

_"Fuck!"_ Octavian gasped, pressing his hand against his new wound. "You really want to kill me, huh Rocco?"

"You have to ask?" he snarled in return.

"All because of little Jenna, huh?" Octavian gasped slightly from the pain eroding from his side before his amber eyes flickered to his mate's naked form. He chuckled humorlessly. "She is a beauty, isn't she? And she's so fun to play with."

"Don't you dare talk about her," Rocco seethed.

"She's _my_ mate. Have you forgotten?"

"You may think that, she will never be anything affectionate to you," Rocco snarled. "Jenna should be _my_ mate. We genuinely love each other. You love her blood and her body. That's as low and dirty as a vampire can get."

Octavian glared. "How dare you insult me?" he hissed. "If you kill me, she dies too!"

"I don't care!" Jenna squeaked. Both the boys' heads turned her way. Her naked body was wrapped with Rocco's black sheet to hide her nudity. She stuck her chin in the air as she glared Octavian down. "As long as you die, I'm willing to go too. It'll be better than remaining miserable in this vampire life."

"You little brat," he snarled.

"I don't want her to die, but I want to make sure the world is protected from nasty vampires like yourself. You are a sick bastard, Helms," Rocco spat.

"Well then …" Octavian said. "Just try and kill me."

Rocco and Octavian lunged for each other. Many strikes and wounds were made. Finally, Octavian had the upper hand and he kicked Rocco to the ground, spitting blood from his mouth onto him.

"This is it, kid," he slurred. "Game over. I win. _I always get what I want_."

His combat boot-clad foot came down hard on one of Rocco's arms, the bones inside shattering deafeningly. Rocco cried out in pain and Jenna gasped, crying. Octavian raised his foot again, ready to crush his windpipe, when, out of the corner of Rocco's eye, he noticed Jenna was gone from the coffin. In a split second, she was strapped to Octavian's back, her arms tightly around his neck, suffocating.

"What the—? _Jenna!_" he cried, trying to tug her off him. Jenna's beautiful green eyes were now a deadly red and her fangs were extended. Rocco never imagined seeing this demonic form of her, but he still loved her all the same, despite his wishing she were still human.

She raised a claw and suddenly tore into his throat, ripping a chunk of flesh out and letting his blood escape like a rapid river. He screamed in pain, but Jenna silenced him by twisting his neck and tearing his head off. Octavian fell to the ground in an instant.

Jenna gasped at what she'd just done. She was terrified, for she wasn't the murdering type. Nonetheless, Rocco was her first priority, and when she'd let go of her former mate's head, she rushed to his side.

"Rocco," she gasped. Rocco sat up, wincing at the pain in his arm. It was mangled and deformed from the breaking, but he knew it would mend in time.

"Jenna … you-you killed him," Rocco said quickly. "I'm going to lose you!"

"Shh …" she soothed, her breath getting shorter with each passing second. "It-it's o-o-okay …"

Rocco held her in his arms, groaning with the movement of his broken arm. Her breath was choppy now and she was struggling to breathe.

"I-I f-f-f-feel his pain …" she stammered, her body trembling and her shaking hands traveling up to her throat. She looked up at Rocco, her eyes glassy.

"I'll always love you," he murmured, his voice cracking. He hugged her tightly and rocked her, and, slowly, she met her death as her mate had met his.

_"And I love you,"_ she muttered in a single breath before smiling faintly and falling still.

Rocco's tears fell onto her face, creating running puddles that strolled along her features. Thus was the story of Romeo's Juliet. He'd known their relationship was a romantic tragedy, just like the Shakespearean story, but at least Jenna had died with a smile on her forever angelic face.


End file.
